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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25815919">to win at all costs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaemarked/pseuds/jaemarked'>jaemarked</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Athletes, Basketball, Basketball Player Mark Lee (NCT), Coming of Age, Established Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck, Fluff and Angst, Humor, M/M, Polyamory, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Volleyball, Volleyball Player Huang Ren Jun, Volleyball Player Lee Donghyuck | Haechan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:20:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>60,027</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25815919</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaemarked/pseuds/jaemarked</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Mark becomes the new manager of the volleyball team, he doesn't expect to fall for the sarcastic but kind setter Donghyuck and the quiet but intense libero Renjun.</p><p> He certainly doesn't anticipate them liking him back.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Huang Ren Jun/Mark Lee, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>228</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this fic is my BABY my honeybun sugar plum my everything!! </p><p> it is probably boring but idc markrenhyuck are my guilty pleasure ship and i love them so, so much. i hope you also like this fic as much as i do.</p><p>thank u to lil, pix, ry, lala, and noah who have been cheering me on for quite a while now. i hope this fic lives up to your expectations!</p><p> CONTENT WARNINGS:</p><p>mentions of bullying, mentions of racism, minor violence, minor injury, mentions of depression, mentions of underage sex (but no actual sexual content), mentions of neglect, minor character death</p><p>please proceed with caution!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Mark makes some new friends, falls for them, and falls in a lake. In that order.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this chapter ended up being longer than i expected, but i hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p>Donghyuck's fingers tightened around the material of Renjun’s practice jersey as Renjun pressed him against the wall, their lips sealed together in a messy kiss. Donghyuck mapped out every centimeter of Renjun's mouth with his tongue, kissing him thoroughly until they were both breathless. Dimly, he could feel his knee pads slipping down his slim legs, but he couldn't be bothered to take them off. Not when he had Renjun in his arms like this, hot and desperate.</p><p>"You did well today, baby," Renjun praised, breath warm against Donghyuck's lips. Donghyuck made a soft noise in the back of his throat, a wordless thanks, and leaned forward to kiss Renjun again.</p><p>"We should probably get changed," Renjun said eventually, pulling back with a chuckle. He looked so pretty with his mouth kiss-swollen. Donghyuck couldn't believe Renjun was his.</p><p>"You don't think I look hot like this?" Donghyuck joked, tugging at the material of his own practice jersey. Renjun's eyes darkened when Donghyuck teasingly lifted up his jersey to reveal flushed skin.</p><p>"Don't be a tease," Renjun growled, stepping back and sitting on the bench, bending over to carefully untie his shoes. Donghyuck joined him, kicking off his own shoes and pulling his knee pads off. He frowned at the small tear in the left pad; he'd had these knee pads for almost a year.</p><p>"Hey," Renjun said, capturing Donghyuck's attention. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of Mizuno LR6s in Donghyuck's size, placing them on the bench. "I noticed yours were getting worn out so I ordered these a couple days ago." Donghyuck looked at the knee pads, then at his boyfriend who was deliberately avoiding eye contact, ears tinged pink, and felt his heart thump oddly in his chest. God, he was so in love with Renjun.</p><p>"Thank you," he finally managed to say. And if Renjun noticed the way his voice cracked, he didn't show it on his face. They hit the showers, Renjun scrubbing Donghyuck's back and Donghyuck massaging Renjun's scalp. Once they'd dried off and gotten dressed, Donghyuck draped his jacket over Renjun's shoulders and tugged him out of the locker room. <br/><br/>The school was completely empty now, save for the janitors. Nobody stayed this late, but Renjun and Donghyuck had gotten special permission, provided they mopped up and locked the doors of the gym afterwards. Heather View Secondary was famous for their athletic teams, and whilst volleyball wasn't as popular as basketball and football, the Heather View volleyball team always ranked top three in the division. Donghyuck was a little bitter that they didn't get much funding compared to the more popular sports.</p><p>Donghyuck and Renjun in particular were pretty well known all over the city. The loud, spunky setter and the quiet, calm libero made for a unique pairing. Donghyuck and Renjun were always in sync, both on and off the court. Despite only knowing each other for a few years, they had an almost telepathic connection. Idly, Donghyuck fiddled with his Heather View Huskies pin that was attached to the strap of his bag. Thinking back, he never would've imagined getting along with Renjun, much less falling in love with him. Renjun had come from a prestigious middle school, and had won the "Best Libero" award for three years in a row.</p><p>Donghyuck, on the other hand, became a setter in the last year of middle school, and was awful at the time. Hours of practice had refined his skills, but he so clearly remembered the look of disappointment on his coach's face as he failed to adjust to his new position. Loud shrieks of laughter pierced Donghyuck's eardrums as he held the door open for Renjun, shaking him out of his thoughts.</p><p>The football kids were kicking a ball around at the front of the school. Their season had yet to start, but Donghyuck could easily recognize Nakamoto Yuta and Qian Kun among the other players. One noticeable figure—besides Wong Yukhei, Heather View's goalie who loomed over everyone else—was Mark Lee, the basketball team's power forward. His presence made Donghyuck pause, slowing his steps. The basketball player was sitting atop one of the picnic tables, looking bored as he watched his friends play a rendition of football. They paid no mind to their only non-footballer friend, who looked pitiful as he stared at the game. </p><p>Donghyuck felt bad, knowing all about feeling excluded in a group of friends, but not bad enough to stop walking as Renjun gave him a questioning look. </p><p>"Wanna come over for dinner? My mom made gamjatang," Renjun offered. Once upon a time, Donghyuck would have been too afraid to say yes. Now, he knew that Renjun's mother happily accepted their relationship, treating Donghyuck like he was her own son.</p><p>"Yes," Donghyuck said vehemently, taking delight in how a pleased smile made its way on Renjun's face. He grabbed Renjun's hand, lacing their fingers together as they walked. Life couldn't get any better than this.</p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p>Mark knew, in the back of his mind, that the volleyball season hadn't actually started yet, but it still took him by surprise when the volleyball players walked past, hair still damp from their showers.</p><p>The basketball season had only just begun, and while the volleyball season followed shortly after basketball ended, the members of the volleyball team had already been selected. This, Mark assumed, was to maximize the amount of practice. The volleyball team was more dedicated than any other team at Heather View.</p><p>Mark watched them go. He didn't know their names, just that they were a year below him and the most popular players on the team. He’d seen their pictures in the school newspaper plenty of times. They made a cute couple.</p><p>A yelled “heads!” was the only warning he got before a football flew at his face. Mark caught the ball before it could make contact, black and white blurring in front of his eyes.</p><p>“Sorry, Mark,” Yuta called distractedly. Mark grunted and threw the ball at Yuta’s feet, slipping off the table and brushing his pants off. He’d been sitting there for the better part of an hour.</p><p>“I think I'm gonna head home,” Mark said loudly. When no one spared a glance in his direction, he wondered if he should repeat himself. Deciding it wasn't worth it, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants and strolled past the game of football, narrowly avoiding Yukhei’s flailing elbows as he ducked past their makeshift goal.</p><p>Huffing a loud breath, Mark glanced at his friends one last time before turning away and walking off the school grounds. He loved his friends, really, but sometimes it seemed like they forgot he even existed.</p><p>Lost in his thoughts, Mark didn't notice the small figure barreling through the door of the convenience store until it was too late. <em>Splat!</em></p><p>“Oh, shit,” he heard distantly, but was more focused on the blue ice pop melting on his extremely expensive Nikes. It’ll probably wash off, he thought (prayed) desperately.</p><p>“Hyuck, you idiot!” Mark looked up to see the two volleyball players he’d seen earlier standing in front of him, the shorter one smacking the other in the head. “How many times have I told you to watch where you’re going?”</p><p>“Hyuck” stuck out his lower lip. Mark felt something in his stomach bubble up like Coca-Cola. He patted his tummy. Maybe it was something he ate. “Sorry, Jun.”</p><p>“Sorry about the shoes,” said “Jun”, “I’m sure it’ll wash off.”</p><p>“Yeah, probably,” Mark replied. “You go to my school, right?”</p><p>“Mhm,” the volleyball players hummed, both sounding bored and disinterested. Mark winced slightly, taking a step back and wringing his hands nervously, wondering if he somehow offended them.</p><p>“Well, see you around,” the other one, “Hyuck”, said before they turned and walked away. Mark waved awkwardly, although they weren’t even looking at him anymore. Sighing, he stuck his hands back in his pockets and made his way home.</p><p>“I’m home!” He called loudly, kicking his shoes off as he stepped through the front door. Picking them up, he headed for the bathroom and rinsed off his shoes, scrubbing them with an old toothbrush. Thankfully, the blue stains disappeared after he used some laundry soap.</p><p>Drying off his hands, Mark stepped out, almost running into his mother who was passing by, carrying a laundry basket overflowing with clothes.</p><p>“Let me take that.” Gently, he tugged the basket out of her grasp. “How was your day?”</p><p>“The same as always, sweetie,” his mother replied, an amused smile playing on her lips. Mark asked her how her day was whenever he came back from school and frankly, her answer rarely changed. He still liked to ask, though. “How was school?”</p><p>“It was good,” Mark called, already halfway up the stairs. He left the basket at the foot of his mother’s bed before heading back downstairs. His mother handed him a cup of tea and they sat at the kitchen table. “Got my Chem test back today, I got a ninety-eight. Would’ve been higher but I messed up one of my answers.”</p><p>“You’re doing well in that class, I’m so proud,” his mother said happily. Mark grinned at her; she didn’t care much for grades but still praised him whenever he scored high on a test or in a course. “And your friends?”</p><p>Mark’s smile faded. “They’re doing alright. We were hanging out but they just wanted to play football so I went home.” It wasn’t like Mark minded that they decided to play their favourite sport, it was just that despite his athleticism, he was awful at football.</p><p>His mother sighed. “I really wish you would get some better friends. Or a boyfriend or girlfriend. You look so lonely.”</p><p>“They’re not that bad,” Mark said defensively, “And I don’t really hang out with them much. I’m more focused on school.”</p><p>“I know honey, but I’d rather you had some good friends to watch your back when your teammates are being jerks.” They’ve had this conversation many times. Mark wasn’t popular with the other members of the basketball team. He had “stolen” the position of starting PF from one of the other players, and his teammates were none too happy about it. The fact that he was a gay (bisexual, really, but that didn’t matter to them) Asian didn’t help matters at all.</p><p>“It’s okay, Mom. Some people have it way worse than me,” Mark said, trying to reassure her.</p><p>Mark’s mom shook her head and left it alone. Mark was grateful; he always felt guilty when his mom worried about him. She had more important things to worry about, and just because some kids at school weren’t the nicest, it didn’t mean anything. Mark could handle a little disrespect, as long as he was able to play ball.</p><p>Mark broke his train of thought when he let out a loud yawn, barely managing to cover his mouth before his mother could admonish him.</p><p>“Tired, baby?” His mom asked, reaching over to pat his hand. She wasn't always so attentive, but after Mark’s dad left, she became more soft and doting. It might also be the fact that she’s rarely home, always travelling for her job.</p><p>“Yeah,” Mark sighed, yawning again. “Sorry. I was up late applying for scholarships.”</p><p>“Why don't you go take a nap while I finish dinner?”</p><p>Mark frowned. “You don't need any help?”</p><p>His mother shook her head, standing up from her chair and walking over to kiss Mark’s temple.</p><p>“Go sleep,” she said firmly. Mark hugged her and obediently went to his room, face planting on his bed. The smell of his mom’s cooking wafted up the stairs, and Mark smiled into his pillow.</p><p>Life wasn't the greatest, but it didn't mean he wasn't thankful for what he had.</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p>“Nice receive!”</p><p>“Nice kill, Jisung!”</p><p>The second year beamed, happily high-fiving Donghyuck with both hands. Jisung had never played volleyball before moving here, but his natural athleticism and competitive mindset made up for the skills he lacked. The fact that he was younger and so cute meant Renjun and Donghyuck doted on him more often than not. And the fact that, other than Donghyuck and Renjun, he was the only Asian on the team. While HVHS was culturally diverse, most of the Asian population lived uptown and therefore out of catchment.</p><p>Renjun was one of those uptown kids, but his parents didn't like the schools in his area, so Renjun took the bus to school everyday. Whenever Donghyuck slept over, they'd go to the convenience store and grab a snack for the half hour bus ride.</p><p>School had finally picked up, the feeling of summer receding as students dove into their assignments with reluctance. It meant that many members of the volleyball team had other obligations and therefore could not attend practice. When the season began, it would be another story, but for now, there were only six players, their coach, and their supervisor at the morning practice.</p><p>“We're gonna do three-on-three,” their captain, Joshua, instructed. “No serves yet, just toss the ball in play. We’re just trying to get comfortable with each other. Setters pick the teams.”</p><p>“I want Jisung and Renjun,” Donghyuck said quickly. Their other setter, Lucas, laughed softly, unsurprised. “Please?”</p><p>Joshua raised an eyebrow. “If Lucas is okay with it.”</p><p>“I'm okay with it. Joshua, Alexander, guess you're with me. Don't go easy on them,” Lucas said, grinning mischievously.</p><p>“Loser has to do diving laps around the gym?” Alexander suggested, his smile a perfect replica of his twin, Nikolai’s, evil smirk. Donghyuck shuddered just thinking about the two middle blockers in their element, glad that he was only facing one today.</p><p>“You're on,” Renjun replied, eyes narrowed. They were somewhat at a disadvantage; Alexander and Joshua were two of the tallest players on the team. But if Renjun had faith that they would win, Donghyuck would try his hardest to make that happen.</p><p>It helped that Renjun loved victory sex.</p><p>The other team started with the ball, throwing it over the net. Jisung received it perfectly, and Donghyuck set the ball up for a quick. Jisung faltered when Alexander leapt for the block but managed to tap it over his enormous hands. Alexander ran back for the attack, and Jisung fell for it, leaving Joshua open to slam it down.</p><p>Renjun picked up the ball with his foot, and Donghyuck jumped up to set the ball to Jisung, quickly changing to a dump at the last second.</p><p>Both Joshua and Lucas dove for the ball, missing it by millimetres. Jisung giggled happily and high-fived Donghyuck. Joshua rolled his eyes but reached under the net for Jisung to slap his hand, too. His delight was contagious.</p><p>If they could serve, the other team wouldn’t stand a chance, with Jisung’s powerful jump serves and Donghyuck’s tricky jump floaters. Plus, they had Renjun on their side, who could receive any serve expertly, and was fast enough to reach any point on the court. But there was no serving in this practice match, and they could barely keep their lead, only one or two points ahead throughout the match.</p><p>Jisung was pushing himself to the limit, jumping for every block, spiking again and again every time Alexander tried to shut him down. Donghyuck tried his best to keep up with Jisung, secretly proud of the determination burning in the younger’s eyes. When Jisung had first joined the team, he was skillful, but not dedicated. He didn’t like to push himself whenever it was unnecessary. Now, every practice match, every drill, every game mattered. Jisung had almost as many bruises as Renjun.</p><p>They stopped the match when the score went up to 32 - 32. Jisung was drenched in sweat, his hair and shirt plastered to his skin. Even Renjun, with his practically endless stamina, was breathing hard. Playing against a skilled middle blocker, an experienced setter, and their formidable captain was exhausting.</p><p>“Good game,” Joshua said, slapping their hands. He was barely even sweating. Donghyuck scowled. “Aw, don't be like that, Donghyuckie.”</p><p>It had taken a long time for Joshua to be able to pronounce Donghyuck’s name. Most people referred to him by his English name, Donny, or butchered the pronunciation. But Joshua had been stubborn and practiced saying Donghyuck’s name until he could say it perfectly.</p><p>(“What kind of a captain would I be if I couldn't pronounce your names?”)</p><p>“You're barely even breathing hard, you freak,” Donghyuck grumbled.</p><p>“It's because I work out, unlike you,” Joshua replied, sticking his tongue out childishly.</p><p>“Volleyball is enough exercise for me,” Donghyuck said, crossing his arms in an ‘X’ in front of him as if he was blocking out fitness. “I only work out when the coach wants me to.”</p><p>“You and Renjun are total opposites,” Lucas said, laughing. Donghyuck only shrugged. It was true; Renjun went to the gym four times a week and Donghyuck went once a month.</p><p>Actually, Renjun was just a lot more intense than Donghyuck when it came to volleyball. Once upon a time (first year) Donghyuck had thought he was the most dedicated volleyball player at Heather View, but Renjun was quick to prove him wrong. The libero often trained until he puked, and then kept going.</p><p>Practice ended with the coach warning them not to overdo it. Coach Ferres often liked to stay on the sidelines and let Joshua lead practice, only taking over when he thought they needed the guidance.</p><p>“Good news! Someone has applied for the managerial position. He will be monitoring your skills and play, collecting data for later purposes. It'll be helpful to know your strengths and weaknesses before your first game,” the coach said.</p><p>Donghyuck blinked and shared a look with Renjun. It wasn't often that a male applied to be the manager of the team. It was usually older female students looking to boost their university application or job resume.</p><p>“What's his name?” Lucas asked curiously, stretching out his arms. Donghyuck immediately dropped to the ground to begin his own stretches. The coach checked his clipboard.</p><p>“Mark Lee.”</p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p>“So, I heard you're gonna be the volleyball team’s manager.”</p><p>Mark looked up from his textbook when Yukhei dropped into one of the shitty plastic cafeteria chairs next to him.</p><p>“Yeah,” Mark said absentmindedly, already reading over the next passage in his book and writing out careful notes in his notebook. “What about it?”</p><p>“I didn't know you even knew anything about volleyball,” Yukhei replied, fiddling with Mark’s highlighters. “Beyond first year PE, anyway.”</p><p>“I like volleyball.” Mark drew a diagram in his book without looking at Yukhei.</p><p>“You like football too, but you didn't want to be our manager,” Yukhei complained, leaning over Mark’s arm to erase and fix his diagram. “Are you in the caf every morning?”</p><p>“I come here to study most mornings,” Mark explained, glancing at the clock and beginning to pack up. He felt like grabbing breakfast from the cafe across the street before class started. Yukhei helped, sliding his pens into his pencil case and holding out Mark’s backpack for him. “Why are you here?”</p><p>“I wanted to talk to Mrs. Hernandez about spirit wear,” Yukhei said. “She and Mr. Hernandez are usually here in the mornings.”</p><p>“I haven't seen her,” Mark told him. “I know you're president and everything, but you should take a break.”</p><p>Yukhei looked exhausted. There were dark circles prominent under his eyes and his smile didn't have the same dazzling quality. “There's just so much to be done. After Minho left his legacy, I can't fail to measure up.”</p><p>Minho Choi was Heather View’s most iconic student body president. He brought attention to Heather View, and made the students love their school. Minho had taken school spirit to a whole new level, and had gone on to play football for Duke University.</p><p>“You're only human,” Mark reminded him. Yukhei offered him a soft smile and slumped in his seat.</p><p>“I really need a nap,” he groaned. “Wake me up if Mrs. Hernandez gets here.”</p><p>“I will,” Mark promised, forgetting about grabbing breakfast. Seconds later, Yukhei stood up from his seat and slid behind Mark in his own chair. It was a tight fit, but Mark couldn't find it in himself to protest when Yukhei hugged him from behind and rested his head on Mark’s shoulder.</p><p>Out of all his friends, it was Yukhei he was closest to. But Yukhei was often either really busy or really oblivious; he didn't notice whenever Mark was left out or uninvited to plans. Mark couldn't resent him for it—Yukhei once sliced his hand open making breakfast and didn't realize until he'd shown up at school, blood staining his uniform.</p><p>Mark brought his attention back to his textbook, giving up on getting food or taking notes. Yukhei was warm against his back, and it made it easier for Mark to focus, settling into Yukhei’s embrace. The president was already asleep, even breaths fanning over Mark’s neck.</p><p>The doors to the cafeteria crashed open noisily, and in walked the two volleyball players from yesterday. They clearly had just finished morning practice, hair damp with sweat. One of them still had his knee pads on.</p><p>He kept his head down as they fell into the seats of a table only a few feet away. Yukhei’s frame mostly blocked him from view, but he could see and hear everything.</p><p>“I can't believe a basketball player’s gonna be our manager,” Hyuck complained loudly. Mark flinched, clutching his mechanical pencil tightly in his grip.</p><p>“Well, he must be somewhat qualified,” Jun replied. “Then again, maybe Coach was really desperate. We didn't even have a manager last year, Donghyuck.”</p><p>“It's stupid,” Donghyuck muttered darkly. “Basketball and volleyball just don't mix. Especially since the basketball team is the reason we couldn't get new balls this year.”</p><p>Mark knew that most of the volleyball team disliked the basketball team. It was expected; the basketball team received way more funding.</p><p>But still, he hadn't expected Donghyuck to sound so disgusted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He could feel the stares of the volleyball team as he stood patiently next to their coach’s side. Their gazes burned into him, sliding over every centimeter of his frame until he felt the need to hide. Mark kept his own eyes on his own shoes; basketball shoes to their volleyball shoes.</p><p>“This is Mark,” the volleyball coach introduced him. “Starting today, he will be the manager of this team. Please treat him kindly and welcome him with open arms.”</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you all,” Mark offered, smiling warmly. The volleyball players looked at each other and a tall curly-haired man with dark skin stepped forward.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Josh, the captain of this team and a senior,” he grinned, reaching to shake Mark’s hand. Mark met him halfway, relieved. “The twins are Nikolai and Alexander, juniors. They’re middle blockers. Nikolai is #10, and Alexander is #11.”</p><p>Mark nodded, watching as they both gave him matching smiles. One of them, Nikolai, clapped Donghyuck and Renjun on the back, hard enough that they both stumbled.</p><p>“These two third years are Donny and Jun. Donny’s the setter and Jun’s the libero. Oh, wait, but you’d be able to pronounce their real names since you’re from their country, right?”</p><p>“I was born in Canada,” Mark clarified awkwardly, deciding not to bring up how Renjun was clearly from China and not Korea, “but yeah I can pronounce their names. Donghyuck and Renjun, right?”</p><p>The setter gave him a short nod, but that was it. Mark flushed and resolved to just stay out of his and Renjun’s way.</p><p>“From where in Canada did you come?” A tall, dark-haired boy asked shyly, hiding behind Renjun, as if his form could fit behind the shorter male. “Oh, I’m Jasper, second year.”</p><p>“I’m from Vancouver, but I was born in Toronto. What about you?”</p><p>He lit up. “I’m from Toronto! My real name’s Jisung.”</p><p>Jisung was really cute. Mark thought they could be friends. He was quickly introduced to the rest of the team. Lucas, another setter; Wilson, Isaac, and Xavier, wing spikers; Léo, the team’s ace. The team was so loud and playful, completely unlike his own sports team.</p><p>But once practice began, they took it seriously. In fact, they went all out for a team whose season hadn't even begun yet. Mark took out a notebook and compiled notes on each member of the team, and even wrote about their dynamics.</p><p>He chewed on his pen while he observed the team doing their spike lines. While it was obvious that Donghyuck was by far the better setter, Lucas kept up. Nikolai and Alexander, their height combined with their jumping power, liked to spike above the block. Wilson tended to favor feints, and Léo broke through the block by sheer force.</p><p>Mark raised an eyebrow when Renjun joined the end of the spike line. Donghyuck seemed surprised too, but when it was Renjun's turn to spike he set the ball high.</p><p>“Toss miss?” Mark murmured to himself, just as Renjun sprung up and slammed the ball down on the other side of the court. He almost dropped his notebook. His pen slipped from his fingers and rolled under the bleachers. Digging a new one out of his pencil case, Mark watched Renjun jog to the end of the court as the rest of the team lined up to practice their serves. His mind was still reeling from the shock. Renjun’s vertical was well over a meter, and he had no problem spiking the ball past the blockers. For a moment, Mark wondered why Renjun was the libero.</p><p>He quickly erased that thought when the team began serving, one at a time, and Renjun skillfully received every single one. Whether it was Léo’s or Jisung’s powerful jump serves, or Donghyuck’s jump floaters, he managed to get the ball up. Even when one of Jisung’s serves hit the net and just barely made it over, Renjun kept it in the air.</p><p>Speed, stamina, power, quick reflexes, high jump. Renjun really had it all. As they organized themselves into teams, Mark found himself leaning forward to watch. At least, watching was all he was planning to do until the coach called him over.</p><p>“Do you know how to play?”</p><p>“Not…to this extent,” Mark said, flushing when Donghyuck gave him an icy look.</p><p>“We just need someone to fill in,” the coach said dismissively, “since Hunni, another spiker, isn’t here.”</p><p>“Right,” Mark replied lamely. “Um, I don't want to hinder the team’s practice.”</p><p>Sensing his hesitation, the supervisor quickly interrupted. “Mark hasn't warmed up, and I'm sure it'd be more beneficial if he watched today.”</p><p>The coach nodded. “Ah, yes you're right. Okay, I guess they can make do with five players.”</p><p>Relieved, Mark went back to his seat, picking up his notebook. He didn't miss Donghyuck’s eyes on him as he went.</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Because this is the advanced class, you will begin your culminating task now and will have until the end of the semester to complete it.”</p><p>Ms. Fuentes passed around the project outlines and criteria. Renjun skimmed over the guidelines. The culminating task was to create a cookbook with original or adapted recipes. Renjun hummed appreciatively, but faltered when he caught sight of the word ‘partner’. He wished, not for the first time, that Donghyuck had taken this class instead of Piano III.</p><p>“Due to limited workspaces, you will be partnered up to do this project. Twenty students and ten workspaces. I'm afraid that you won't be choosing your partners.”</p><p>There was a collective groan, but Ms. Fuentes only smiled apologetically and began pairing up the students. Renjun sighed as the two people he knew in this class were paired together.</p><p>“Mark Lee and Jun Huang.”</p><p>Huh. Renjun whipped his head around and stared at the basketball player sitting at the back of the class. Mark looked rather startled himself, so Renjun took the initiative and walked over.</p><p>“Guess we’ll be working together,” Renjun said, eyeing Mark critically. For someone taller than Renjun, he sure as hell looked short right now.</p><p>“Guess so,” Mark murmured back. Renjun almost let out a sigh, but caught himself before he could. What was that about not following stereotypes? Seemed like every basketball player at Heather View had IQs lower than their verticals. Renjun was wondering if he'd have to do this whole project on his own. when Mark interrupted his thoughts. “Um, have you had a chance to look at the outline?”</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” Renjun answered, barely refraining from rolling his eyes.</p><p>Mark sank lower in his chair, gaze on the papers in front of him. “I, um, had some ideas.”</p><p>Now that got Renjun’s attention. “Okay, spill.”</p><p>Mark sat up straighter. “Well, I'm Korean, but I'm also Canadian, and you're Chinese...and we’re the only Asians in this class, so we could do an amalgamation of our cultures.”</p><p>“That's...actually good.” Renjun was surprised, and he couldn't stop it from showing on his face. He leaned in closer, interested.</p><p>“And,” Mark continued, “we could film us cooking recipes, put them up on YouTube, and put QR codes linking to each video on every recipe page.” He started writing down his ideas and drew up a materials list before stopping short and looking up. Their eyes met and Mark turned red, stuttering to a halt. Renjun took pity on him and pulled back, instead directing his attention on the papers Mark was looking at.</p><p>“We can refine the recipes in class, but for filming we’d need a quieter location. And with better lighting.” He eyed the yellow lights in the ceiling with distaste.</p><p>“Wait, really?” Mark asked, before backtracking and instead focusing on highlighting the requirements of the project. “Uh, we could film at my house. My kitchen is pretty big, and… windows.”</p><p>“Really what?” Renjun said, picking up one of Mark’s highlighters and copying his paper. “Thirty pages minimum, shit.”</p><p>“Just…thought maybe you'd rather use one of your own ideas.”</p><p>“Your ideas are good,” Renjun said firmly. “So we’re gonna use yours. Okay?”</p><p>“Okay,” Mark replied, seeming embarrassed but pleased.</p><p>“Okay,” Renjun repeated. “If we’re gonna do this,” he picked up Mark’s materials list, mostly blank, “we’re gonna need a lot of shit. Ingredients, mostly. I know the school will reimburse us for things we buy for class, but what about the stuff we do at yours?”</p><p>“I can pay for those,” Mark said. When Renjun looked at him, he added, “I have a job.”</p><p>“I'll help pay, too,” Renjun frowned. “I guess we’re kind of weird for wanting to spend money on a school project.”</p><p>“Going beyond the limitations is more fun,” Mark muttered, mostly to himself, but Renjun heard anyway.</p><p>“That's…exactly it,” Renjun said in amazement. “I don't think anyone else gets it. Not even Hyuck, sometimes.” He mentioned his boyfriend without even thinking about it, but Mark just nodded. Right, he was the volleyball team’s manager, now. He knew who Donghyuck was.</p><p>Mark smiled at him, a real smile that showed gums and made his eyes crinkle. It looked out of place on his normally serious face, but at the same time, it fit him perfectly. He actually looked kind of cute. Renjun got so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize Mark had begun speaking again.</p><p>“We’ll need a camera, for both pictures and videos. I have a few at home, but I'd rather not bring them to school,” Mark was saying. Renjun forced himself to focus, writing ‘camera(s)’ on the list of materials.</p><p>“We could borrow some from the Arts department,” Renjun pointed out.</p><p>Mark brightened visibly. “Yeah, that's a good idea! My friend Yukhei is in the Photography class, he could talk the teacher into letting us use a few. I have a portable lighting kit that I could bring in, and Ms. Fuentes could lock it up for us.”</p><p>“You have a portable lighting kit?”</p><p>“I…like art.”</p><p>“You more than like it if you have all of this equipment. What, you got your own studio or something?” When Mark didn't answer, he stopped teasing. “Wait, seriously?”</p><p>“It's a home studio,” Mark rushed to explain. “Like, just something to fuck around in when I'm bored.”</p><p>“So you've got all the editing programs?”</p><p>Mark’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! I've got both Sony Vegas Pro and After Effects, since I can't decide which I like better. And I have Premiere and Final Cut Pro, too.”</p><p>Renjun laughed. “You're a total nerd! But it'll come in handy for this project. You'll have to show me your studio setup.”</p><p>“Y-Yeah, of course. You'll have to see it anyway, since we are working together.”</p><p>“I'm looking forward to it,” Renjun said, smiling easily. “Got any more ideas?”</p><p>As Mark started talking about getting their cookbook professionally printed and assembled, Renjun wrote up plans and started outlining the contents of their cookbook. He couldn't help but laugh when his partner got so excited.</p><p>Mark Lee was really nothing like he expected.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mark was in the middle of warming up when he caught sight of familiar curls sticking out from the crowd as the six foot tall class president attempted to ascend the bleachers.</p><p>“Yukhei!” He called, and watched Yukhei spin around and grin delightedly when he caught sight of Mark. He bounded down the steps of the bleachers, limbs flailing to keep his balance. Mark caught him before he could fall, and Yukhei hugged him quickly.</p><p>“Hi!” Yukhei greeted. “Wow, it's so full in here.”</p><p>Mark laughed. “I think you're the only one here for me.”</p><p>Yukhei bit his lip. “The others couldn't come. Yuta wanted to see a movie, and they all bought tickets for the after school showing.”</p><p>“If they had waited, we could have all gone together,” Mark muttered, but smiled at Yukhei anyway. “Thanks for coming, I know you have a lot of work.”</p><p>“I finished it during lunch!” Yukhei beamed. “There's no way I'm missing your first game.” Yukhei working through lunch meant he didn't eat, so Mark caught him by the elbow before he could go back up.</p><p>“Let’s get hot pot after this. I'll treat you,” Mark offered. Yukhei nodded happily, wished Mark good luck, and then bounded up the bleachers. Mark turned back to the court and continued warming up.</p><p>“That your boyfriend?” The starting PG and captain, Felix, asked him. Out of all the members on the team, Felix was the nicest. He got pissed whenever the other members gave Mark shit for his race or sexuality.</p><p>Mark shook his head. “No, just a friend.”</p><p>“Oh wait, he's the president, right?” Mark nodded. “He's kinda cute. Like a puppy.”</p><p>Mark laughed. Describing Yukhei as a puppy was probably the most accurate thing anyone could say. He was silly, bumbling, and eager to please. Yukhei had won the presidential campaign by a landslide.</p><p>“What do you think of our opponents?” Felix nodded at the other team.</p><p>Mark gave it careful consideration. “They're very uniform. Not flashy, no outstanding skill. Each player is capable, but not more than the others.”</p><p>“They're rigid,” Felix agreed, “let’s destroy them.” He grinned evilly just as the whistle blew and the teams went to their respective benches.</p><p>Mark hoped he’d never have to face Felix as an opponent.</p><p>“Okay, it's our first game of the season,” Coach Zack said when the team gathered around, “I’m supposed to say no pressure but I want you to kick their asses.”</p><p>“This is our season,” Felix crowed, putting his hand out in the middle of the circle. “If we win championships, I'll take everyone out to dinner. Huskies, on three!”</p><p>“One, two, three, Huskies!” The circle broke, and the five starting players jogged out onto the court.</p><p>After the tip-off, the other team got first possession. It ended shortly after when Felix snatched the ball from one of the players and took it all the way down the court for an easy lay-up, too quick for any defenders to catch up. Mark grinned; scoring the first basket meant a huge morale boost for the rest of the team.</p><p>From that point forward, Mark’s team slowly picked apart the opponents’ offence and defense until they were left with nothing. When the final whistle blew, signalling the end of the game, the score was 67–29.</p><p>“Not bad for a first game, huh?!” Felix yelled after they had shaken their opponents’ hands and gathered around their coach. Their coach warned them about getting too cocky, but praised them for their teamwork. Though they weren’t much of a team anywhere else, they were in sync on the court.</p><p>“Mark!” Yukhei came flying down the bleachers, tackling Mark into a hug.</p><p>“Ack, Yukhei!” Mark spluttered when he got a mouthful of curls. “Jeez, you're lucky I don't sweat much.”</p><p>“Hot pot!” Yukhei cheered, ushering Mark into the locker room so he could grab his bag and slide on a pair of sweats. He didn't get the chance to change out of his jersey before he was dragged out the second he shut his locker.</p><p>“Jesus, slow down,” Mark said, then promptly tripped over someone’s foot and fell flat on his face.</p><p>“Oh shit,” he heard distantly. Rolling over and clutching his nose, Mark saw Renjun standing over him, smiling in amusement.</p><p>“Fuck, Yukhei, I’m gonna sue,” Mark groaned, sitting up. His face fucking hurt.</p><p>“Renjun was the one who tripped you,” Yukhei pouted. Mark was weak for those puppy dog eyes. Clumsy Yukhei Wong had no business being that cute.</p><p>“You alright?” Renjun asked, eyes glittering with mirth.</p><p>“Good enough I guess,” Mark grumbled, allowing Yukhei to help him to his feet. “How was practice?”</p><p>Renjun shrugged. “Same old. Hyuck had to go home, so it was kinda boring without him.”</p><p>Mark opened his mouth to reply when Lucas came running into the hall yelling “Jun!”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“Jasper’s looking for you,” Lucas said breathlessly, then dashed off, disappearing around the corner. Mark, Yukhei, and Renjun watched him go.</p><p>“Jasper? As in Jasper Park?” Yukhei asked, sounding choked up.</p><p>“Yeah, you know him?” Renjun asked curiously, and Mark didn't get the chance to tease Yukhei about the blush on his cheeks before Jisung himself came running and collided straight into Renjun, who barely managed to keep them both standing.</p><p>“Sungie!” Renjun admonished. “Slow the fuck down!”</p><p>“Sorry,” Jisung giggled, but even as Renjun scolded him he was reaching up to fix Jisung’s messy hair. “Was just worried you left. Nobody’s home and I don't have a key.”</p><p>“Okay, I'll stay with you then,” Renjun hummed. “It's gonna get dark soon and I don't want you to be by yourself.”</p><p>“Wanna join us for dinner?” Mark offered before he could stop himself. He reached back and squeezed Yukhei’s hand. Yukhei squeezed back, and he knew it was okay. More than okay judging by the expression Yukhei had been wearing since Jisung walked in.</p><p>Renjun and Jisung exchanged looks. “Sure, where ya going?”</p><p>“Lim’s Hot Pot. C’mon, it'll be my treat.”</p><p>Jisung lit up, launching himself at Mark like a six foot projectile and hugging him tightly, muttering about how broke he was. It took both Yukhei and Renjun to pry him off.</p><p>They exited the school and headed towards the restaurant. Jisung hooked his chin over Mark’s shoulder and made him walk like that.</p><p>“Hyung, you won your game?” Jisung asked Korean, and it was both familiar and unfamiliar since he and his mom practiced English at home.</p><p>“I did,” he responded. Jisung hummed.</p><p>“Renjun-hyung was sure you would win, when I asked him earlier.” Mark startled, glancing at Renjun in surprise. He didn't think Renjun would even give him the time of day, but yesterday, at the end of class, he had asked for Mark’s number. To hear that he was saying nice things about Mark…but Mark knew Donghyuck didn't like him, so maybe Renjun was just being nice?</p><p>Jisung shivered, and Mark broke away from his thoughts to take his hoodie out of his bag and hand it to him. Jisung shrugged it on gratefully, playing with the sleeves that covered his hands.</p><p>“It's getting colder,” Jisung said sadly, “I miss summer already.”</p><p>Mark rolled his eyes. “Look how you're dressed. Of course you're gonna be cold.”</p><p>Jisung was wearing a thin muscle tee and was still in his volleyball shorts. Mark’s oversized hoodie came down to mid-thigh, and if Jisung zipped it up it'd look like he wasn't wearing pants.</p><p>“But my ass looks great in volleyball shorts,” Jisung said, switching from leaning on Mark’s back to snuggling into his side instead. Mark didn't really have affectionate friends except for Yukhei, and it was weird to him that someone he barely knew was so clingy. Still, he let Jisung do as he pleased until they got to the restaurant.</p><p>Mark held the door open for his friends, then for an older lady also entering the restaurant, before following inside. Lim’s Hot Pot was a small family-owned hot pot restaurant that Mark stumbled upon in his first year. He came here so often that the owners and staff knew him by name.</p><p>“Mark!” Sure enough, one of the waiters, Jaemin, came running up to him. His mother was friends with Mrs. Lim, and he volunteered his time whenever he was free. Mark usually helped out in the summer.</p><p>“Hi Jaemin,” Mark greeted. He wished Jaemin went to HVHS, but Jaemin was an uptown kid. “Table for four?”</p><p>“Sure thing. How's school going?” Jaemin asked, leading them to an empty table and starting up the hot pot.</p><p>“Pretty good. I'm on the basketball team again.”</p><p>“Yeah? I'll be sure to bring everyone to the finals,” Jaemin teased. Everyone meant Jaemin’s parents, Jaemin’s brother, Mr. and Mrs. Lim, and the Lims’ children.</p><p>“Who says we’ll make finals?” Mark retorted, pulling out a seat for Yukhei before taking his own. Renjun and Jisung sat across from them, bickering about something volleyball-related.</p><p>Jaemin rolled his eyes. “You always make finals.” He began walking away.</p><p>“You forgot to take our order!” Mark called jokingly.</p><p>“You forgot to take our order,” Jaemin mimicked, sticking up his middle finger before disappearing into the kitchen. Mark grinned.</p><p>“He'll be back with literal trays of food,” he explained to the others.</p><p>Sure enough, twenty minutes later Jaemin came back with two trays full of food, Mrs. Lim behind him carrying another two. Mark stood up and took the trays from her before engulfing her in a hug.</p><p>“Hi, Mrs. Lim, you're looking well!” Mark said happily. Mrs. Lim only rolled her eyes and shoved him back into his seat.</p><p>“Don't try and butter me up, boy,” she grumbled. Mrs. Lim turned to the others. “Yukhei! It's been so long, dear. How are you?”</p><p>“I’m great, Mrs. Lim!” Yukhei said, and his bright smile made up for the dark circles pressed under his eyes. Yukhei grabbed Mark’s hand beneath the table. Mark resigned himself to a meal of eating with his non-dominant hand.</p><p>“If only my son was as charming as you,” Mrs. Lim sighed. Mark couldn’t help but snort a little. Danny Lim was a handsome, older man in his second year of medical school. He was already engaged, and set to get married in the upcoming spring. Yukhei, who had been single since birth, could learn a thing or two from her son.</p><p>Jaemin sighed, in perfect imitation of Mrs. Lim. “I better get back to work. Anything you need me to do, Mrs. Lim?”</p><p>Mrs. Lim rolled her eyes. “Just remember to grab your things once you leave. You can sit with your friends, you don't actually work here.”</p><p>“Yeah but I’ve got so many community service hours,” Jaemin grinned, placing the first strips of beef on the grill. Renjun was adding spices to the broth, then he mixed in a ton of vegetables and clear noodles. Mark, who was used to cooking for his friends, felt a little useless as he just sat there.</p><p>Eventually, Mrs. Lim had to go back to work, but not before she gave Yukhei a long lecture about remembering to come visit. Mark thought she was going to kidnap Jisung, who had eagerly exclaimed about the taste of the food in such a genuine way that made everyone soft on him. He kind of wanted to keep Jisung for himself.</p><p>“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Renjun cooed, pinching Jisung’s cheek. Jisung scrunched his nose up but tolerated it good naturedly. He was easily consoled when Renjun piled food onto his plate.</p><p>Mark learned a lot about Renjun in the two hours they spent at the restaurant. He learned about Renjun’s middle school, where he grew up and how he met Donghyuck. Mark wanted to know more, but Yukhei was leaning heavily against his side, head lolling on Mark’s shoulder as he dozed off in the middle of his sentence.</p><p>“I better take this loser home,” Mark said finally. “Yukhei, wake up so I can help Jaemin clean.”</p><p>“Nah, it’s okay.” Jaemin waved him off. “Just take the poor guy and go.”</p><p>Yukhei blinked awake, pouting sleepily with his eyebrows furrowed. Jisung giggled and reached over to clasp Yukhei’s cheeks in his hands. Yukhei startled, no longer looking sleepy, and pulled away, his ears turning bright red. Mark snorted at him.</p><p>“Let’s go, Sleeping Beauty.” He hauled Yukhei out of his seat, helping him shrug on his backpack. Yukhei groaned and pushed his face into Mark’s shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, you big baby. Come on, I’ll walk you home.”</p><p>“Hyung, your sweater,” Jisung said, struggling to pull his arms out of the sleeves.</p><p>“Just bring it back tomorrow, I don’t want you to freeze. And for God’s sake, put on some pants.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Mark,” Renjun murmured. Mark smiled and gave him a little wave, saying goodbye to Jisung and Jaemin, wrapping his arm around Yukhei’s waist and guiding him out of the restaurant.</p><p>Walking Yukhei home was a pain because they lived in opposite directions, but there was no way he’d let Yukhei walk home by himself when he could barely keep his eyes open.</p><p>“Renjun and Jisung are really nice,” Yukhei mumbled.</p><p>“You seem to think Jisung is more than nice,” Mark teased, and Yukhei is too tired to fight the blush spreading across his cheeks.</p><p>“And you think Renjun is nice.”</p><p>Mark’s breath caught in his throat. “I don’t—what are you talking about?”</p><p>Yukhei rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on! Anyone can see from the way you look at him.”</p><p>“Shut up!” Mark hissed, looking around as if Renjun (or Donghyuck) was somewhere nearby. “I just admire him, that’s all.”</p><p>“Sure, admire him,” Yukhei agreed sarcastically. Mark scowled at him. For someone who was practically dead when they were at the restaurant, Yukhei was pretty fucking awake now. Why was Mark walking him home again?</p><p>“I will shove you in a trash can,” Mark said, smacking Yukhei in the back of the head. “Don’t touch me.”</p><p>“Ouch,” Yukhei whined, sticking out his lower lip. “You bully me so much.”</p><p>“You’re a brat,” Mark replied exasperatedly, but he still let Yukhei cling onto him as he walked him home.</p><p>“Please get some sleep tonight,” Mark said when they arrived at Yukhei’s house. Yukhei laughed and shrugged in the way that meant he wasn’t going to do what Mark said but he wasn’t going to say that outright.</p><p>When Mark got home, he collapsed in his desk chair, pulling out his textbooks and trying to forget Yukhei’s words before Mark dropped him off.</p><p>
  <em>“Anyone can see from the way you look at him.”</em>
</p><p>It wouldn’t do to have a crush, especially not on a taken man.</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p>Donghyuck’s stomach growled at him as he rummaged through the fridge for anything that wasn’t spoiled or a condiment. Giving up, he sighed and slammed the door shut.</p><p>Donghyun had forgotten to go grocery shopping again, so there was nothing for him to eat before morning practice. It wasn’t the first time and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. He often forgot about Donghyuck in general, leaving him to fend for himself most days.</p><p>“At least I get to see Renjun,” Donghyuck said to himself as he shoved his feet into his shoes and walked out the door, checking twice to make sure it was locked. He didn’t live in the best neighbourhood, and god knew what he would do if someone stole what little valuable possessions he had.</p><p>His gym bag banged against his thigh as he walked towards the school, a rhythmic thumping that he concentrated on while he walked. He would listen to music, but his earphones had broken and he hadn’t gotten the money to replace them yet.</p><p>“Morning,” Renjun greeted sleepily when Donghyuck walked into the locker room, more than half an hour later.</p><p>“G’morning,” Donghyuck responded, planting a kiss on Renjun’s forehead. Renjun scrunched his face up and pulled away.</p><p>“Ugh,” Renjun joked, sticking his tongue out, “affection.”</p><p>“You love it,” Donghyuck teased, flinging his bag on the ground and taking out his knee pads. He got ready in record time, and he and Renjun headed into the gym to set up the net.</p><p>To their surprise, it was already set up, and Mark walked in carrying the heavy water dispenser from the storage room, which he had evidently filled up, according to the sloshing sounds.</p><p>“Oh! Good morning!” Mark greeted, placing the water dispenser on the table in the corner. “You guys are here early.”</p><p>“We’re always early.” Mark nodded, and Donghyuck couldn’t tell if he hadn’t noticed the snark, or was just plainly ignoring it.</p><p>“You’re setting up?” Renjun was much nicer.</p><p>“Yeah. Wasn’t exactly sure what counted as managerial duties so…” Mark shrugged. “I figured I should try to be a little less useless.”</p><p>He looked back at them and smiled sheepishly, and Donghyuck felt bad for being a dick.</p><p>“Do you play volleyball?” Donghyuck asked, trying to make conversation. He heard Renjun muffle a snort and scowled at his feet.</p><p>Mark shook his head vehemently. “No way, volleyball is too difficult for me. My only experience is watching <em>Haikyuu</em>!! throughout my second year.”</p><p>Donghyuck had heard of <em>Haikyuu</em>!! but had never made the effort to watch it. Now, he regretted not taking the time as Renjun’s eyes lit up and he sidled over to Mark, rapidly talking about the character development in the show. Still, it made Donghyuck happy to see Renjun happy, so he warmed up by himself for a few minutes.</p><p>Seeing Renjun warm up to someone so easily was so strange, especially since it had taken Donghyuck a long time to get Renjun to be more open with him when they first became friends. It made him feel kind of funny in a sense, not jealous, but just…strange. Like he was an outsider looking in, but in a good way.</p><p>He thought about it as he practiced setting the ball. He liked nothing more than seeing Renjun happy, and Mark was making Renjun happy, so despite the fact that Donghyuck didn’t necessarily like Mark, he wanted Mark and Renjun to spend time together.</p><p>In the corner of his eye, he watched Renjun help Mark learn how to receive, taking his arms and guiding him into the right stance. He smiled to himself as Mark successfully passed the ball back to Renjun because Renjun loved to teach more than anything. Dropping his own ball, he walked over to Renjun and hugged him tightly. His boyfriend was too fucking cute.</p><p>“Hyuck, did you see? Mark is learning pretty fast,” Renjun said, smiling and leaning back into Donghyuck’s touch. It was kind of shocking, considering Renjun wasn’t exactly a fan of PDA.</p><p>“I saw. You’re a good teacher.”</p><p>“Mark is a good student,” Renjun countered, beaming full force at the basketball player. Mark, caught off-guard, smiled helplessly back and abruptly, Donghyuck knew.</p><p>Mark liked Renjun.</p><p>He immediately tried to force back the possessiveness that rose from the pit of his stomach, holding himself back from curling around Renjun protectively. It wasn’t like he blamed Mark; it was hard not to like Renjun, he was practically perfect.</p><p>It never bothered him when he knew other people liked Renjun. He often caught Renjun removing confession letters from his locker, though the libero was never anything more than disinterested. But he could taste jealousy on the tip of his tongue, and he couldn’t understand why.</p><p>“Can we start practice now?” Donghyuck murmured, and Renjun nodded, taking the time to warm up a bit more before beginning. Donghyuck began practicing his jump serves, trying to make them harder for Renjun to receive.</p><p>Donghyuck’s specialty was the jump floater, and his ordinary jump serves weren’t as powerful as Jisung’s or Josh’s. But he had been practicing his serve enough that targeting came easy; he was able to pinpoint a location on the court and serve the ball there almost every time. This wouldn’t fully inhibit a good team, but it would at least slow them down from delivering powerful attacks before his own team was ready to defend.</p><p>It made Donghyuck proud that the entire team could serve extraordinarily well. For the most part, they had no holes. Wilson and Léo weren’t the strongest receivers, but they could hold their own, and most teams had only one or two players who could pinpoint their serves. If Donghyuck was honest, he’d say they pretty much had the championship in the bag.</p><p>However, as he practiced, he found that it was harder to concentrate. For some reason, his eyes kept trailing over to where Mark was standing, writing something down in a notebook. His notebook was covered in bunnies wearing basketball gear. Donghyuck fought the urge to smile when he caught sight of it. He tossed up the ball and stepped forward, bringing his arms back just as he brought his feet together, then launched himself upwards, pulling his right arm back behind his head and meeting the ball at the height of the toss.</p><p>Every time Donghyuck served, time seemed to slow down until nothing mattered but him and the ball. He could see the court on the other side, he could see Renjun ready to receive the ball, but most importantly, he could see where he needed to serve it. But for a fraction of a second, he caught Mark watching him and faltered in his swing. He hit the ball with the side of his hand, and it soared out of bounds. Donghyuck landed harshly on both feet, heard nothing but blood rushing in his ears. He could see Renjun’s mouth moving, but all he could focus on was the ball rolling away.</p><p>He missed the serve.</p><p>Donghyuck hadn’t missed a serve in years. Even back in grade school, he had perfected the underhand serve on his first try. Sure, some of his serves were shitty, and some of them barely made it over the net, but he hadn’t missed a serve in so long, he had forgotten how disappointing it felt. How crushing. The serve was one of the most important skills. The game couldn’t start without a serve, and Donghyuck had missed. Everything had been perfect. The toss, his footwork. It was only his concentration that had been broken.</p><p>“Hyuck? Are you okay?” Renjun’s voice filtered through his ears. He couldn’t look away from the ball. Why was it bothering him so much?</p><p>“Donghyuck?” He heard Mark say, and oh. That was why. Because it wasn’t just anything, or anyone that broke his concentration.</p><p>It was Mark.</p><p>A heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he flinched, whirling around to see Mark staring at him, brows furrowed with concern. Donghyuck jerked back, putting as much distance as possible between him and their manager.</p><p>“Don’t touch me,” Donghyuck snarled. His eyes widened and he covered his mouth with his hands as he realized what he had done. Hurt flickered across Mark’s face before it smoothed out into neutrality.</p><p>“Hyuck—“ Renjun started, but just as he made to duck under the net, the doors to the gymnasium burst open and in came Jisung, Josh, Wilson, Xavier, and Hunni. They were already in their practice jerseys, and their loud bickering was enough distraction for Donghyuck to slip away, pulling his water bottle out of his bag and taking a swig even though he wasn’t thirsty. By the time he lowered the bottle, Mark was monitoring the warm-ups and Renjun was staring at him with an unreadable expression.</p><p>“Let’s do some serve-and-receive and then spike drills?” Josh suggested once everyone had finished warming up. Donghyuck grabbed a ball from the cart and went on the opposite end from Renjun, who was starting with receives.</p><p>This time when he served, he refused to look at Mark, and slammed the ball perfectly over the net to the other side of the court.</p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mark checked his phone for the ninth time in the twenty minutes since the bell rang, signifying the end of class. He was supposed to be meeting his friends, but after another five minutes with no new texts and no sight of them, he got up from his usual picnic table. Today was the one day he didn’t have to go to basketball practice or volleyball practice, or have enough homework to cripple him, and he had wasted it waiting for people who didn’t even bother sending him a message.</p><p>Dusting off his pants, he picked up his bag and walked past the front doors of the school. Unfortunately, just as he stepped past, someone slammed the door open, sending him flying backwards. He landed hard on his ass, shouting in pain.</p><p>“Oh fuck, I am so sorry.” He heard Renjun say loudly. He looked up to see Donghyuck and Renjun standing there with twin expressions of horror.</p><p>“This is the second time you’ve knocked me down,” Mark found himself saying as Renjun helped him to his feet. He wiped his hands and his pants free, wincing when gravel bit into his scraped up palms.</p><p>“Your hands are bleeding,” Donghyuck said, frowning. Renjun grabbed one of his hands and sure enough, it was bleeding sluggishly.</p><p>“I have a first aid kit in my bag,” Renjun said, shrugging off his backpack and digging through it. He pulled out a little red bag with a triumphant noise, pushing Mark to sit down on the bench, holding his palms up. He picked up an alcohol pad and ripped it open. “Hold still, this is gonna hurt.”</p><p>To everyone’s surprise, Donghyuck reached around Renjun to grab Mark’s wrists, preventing him from jerking away as the alcohol stung his cuts. Mark hissed under his breath as Renjun cleaned away the dirt and gravel.</p><p>“I’m really sorry again,” Renjun said woefully, after he finished covering the biggest scrapes. Mark shrugged, shoving his hands into his pocket as soon as Donghyuck let go, eyeing him warily. Ever since Donghyuck had snapped at him yesterday morning at practice, Mark steered clear of him.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” Mark said finally, when Renjun stared expectantly in silence. Donghyuck sneezed. He sounded like a puppy. The way he shook his head a little after he sneezed reminded Mark of a puppy. Renjun was already pulling out tissues from his pocket and handing it over.</p><p>“What are you still doing here? Got practice or something?”</p><p>“I was waiting for my friends, but I think they left without me.” Mark chuckled dryly, flexing his hands in his pockets and feeling the way the tape stretched his skin. He stood up from the bench. “Thanks for playing nurse.”</p><p>“Sorry for hitting you with the door,” Donghyuck said quietly. “Well, sorry Jun hit you with the door.”</p><p>Renjun pinched Donghyuck in the side. Donghyuck shrieked and darted away, then Renjun turned back to Mark. “We’re going out for boba, you wanna come with?”</p><p>Mark just stared in shock for a moment. <em>They’re offering to spend time with me? Voluntarily? I thought they hated me. Or at least, Donghyuck did. Does? </em>“Uh, yeah, I’d love to. Where are we going?”</p><p>“Kuma’s Cafe,” Renjun replied. “We’ll need to take the bus, do you have a pass?”</p><p>“Yeah!” Mark pulled out his bus pass, a monthly one that he bought even though he rarely used public transit. If he didn’t walk, he drove his car, but most places were within walking distance. He mostly used his bus pass when his friends were busing places.</p><p>“What is that?” Donghyuck said, grabbing Mark’s pass out of his hands. Startled, Mark just let it go, watching as Donghyuck examined the pass carefully.</p><p>“It’s a monthly bus pass,” Mark explained. “You can buy them from the bus station or some convenience stores.”</p><p>“You don’t have a school-issued bus pass?” Renjun asked, pulling his own out of his pocket. It was a laminated card with his student picture and name printed on it.</p><p>Mark shrugged. “I live pretty close to the school, I didn’t need a bus pass.”</p><p>“Then why do you have this?” Donghyuck waved the pass in the air, the silver sticker glinting in the sunlight.</p><p>“Oh, well, my friends usually take the bus and I hate when they bus by themselves, so I just go with them. It’s better for the environment than me using my car all the time.”</p><p>Renjun and Donghyuck exchanged looks, but Mark had no idea what they meant. It seemed like they could read each other’s minds. He wished he had something like that with someone. Donghyuck handed his pass back silently.</p><p>“Wasn’t aware that you cared so much about the environment,” Renjun commented casually as they started toward the bus stop.</p><p>“Oh, I’m super passionate about the environment!” Mark said excitedly. “My mom and I like to watch documentaries whenever she’s home, and we saw a ton about plastic in the ocean and stuff. I try to produce as minimal waste as possible, but you know. It’s hard sometimes. I guess I’m a little lazy.”</p><p>“Are you in the enviro-club then?” Renjun asked, skipping ahead to stop directly in front of the bus stop, spinning on his heel with a bright smile on his face. Mark felt his heart skip a beat, and he mentally kicked himself.</p><p>“Nah, meetings conflict with basketball,” Mark said with a sigh. “It sucks because they’re going on a big camping trip over the winter break, but I have training camp.”</p><p>“Training camp?” Donghyuck asked.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s when we travel to another district and train with other schools for a few days. You guys don’t have that? I know basketball and football do.”</p><p>Donghyuck scoffed. “I doubt we even have the budget for that. We can’t even get new uniforms.”</p><p>“Are you serious?” Mark asked. “That’s totally unfair! I can talk to Yukhei, he can bring it up at the next student trustee meeting.”</p><p>Renjun snorted. “It’s fine. I doubt they’d allocate any more funds to us. Anyway, the bus is here.”</p><p>That signalled the end of the conversation. Renjun and Donghyuck stood together, only a few steps away from Mark, but it felt like miles. Still, Mark tried to keep an optimistic attitude as he climbed onto the bus after them.</p><p>“Good afternoon,” he said quietly to the bus driver, flashing his pass. He followed Renjun and Donghyuck to the back of the bus, where they sat together in a two seater. Mark sat behind them, sliding his backpack off and placing it in his lap.</p><p>Renjun and Donghyuck began discussing a show Mark had never heard of, but he was content to just listen as they bickered over the best characters as he stared out the window. He wondered why they even invited him along. Did they feel guilty because Mark scraped his hands? The wounds were so shallow, though, they’d probably be healed by his next practice. He examined his hands now, neatly covered by bandages and medical tape. He still remembered the way Renjun had smoothed down, and the heat of Donghyuck’s hands as they clamped around his wrists.</p><p>“Have you seen <em>InuYasha, </em>Mark?” Donghyuck’s voice startled him out of his daze, and he quickly lowered his hands. Renjun and Donghyuck were both peering over the back of the seats, watching him curiously.</p><p>“Uhh, a couple episodes when I was younger, maybe.”</p><p>“So you’ve seen <em>Haikyuu!!</em> but not <em>InuYasha?</em>” Renjun asked. “Are you just a sports anime fan, then?”</p><p>“Yeah, pretty much,” Mark admitted.</p><p>“So you <em>must </em>have seen <em>Kuroko no Basuke</em>, then,” Renjun said, twisting so he had his back against the window, propping himself up higher.</p><p>“I have!” Mark exclaimed. “It’s not very accurate, but it <em>is </em>entertaining.”</p><p>Renjun grinned. “Yeah, the Generation of Miracles is OP as fuck, but it’s pretty fun. Aren’t you in the same position as Kagami?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m playing power forward this year.” Mark glanced at Donghyuck, nervous about his silence, but Donghyuck had his chin propped on the back of the seat, watching Renjun as he spoke. He looked at Renjun like he was his entire world. Mark felt like he was intruding on something private, so he trained his gaze out the window as he and Renjun talked about their favourite arcs.</p><p>Eventually, Renjun and Donghyuck began discussing another movie that Mark hadn’t even heard of, a volleyball-centric movie apparently. Without knowing the context, Mark resorted to just listening again, leaning against the window. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he opened it up to see a text from Yuta.</p><p>
  <strong>yuta</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>hey mark! i forgot to tell you but most of us had to cancel so we just decided to hang another time. sorry if you waited for us.</em>
</p><p>3:47 pm</p><p>Mark just sighed, shoving his phone back into his pocket without bothering to reply. He doubted Yuta would lose any sleep over it. At least he had texted. There had been times when nobody said anything at all, leaving Mark to wonder where they had been. He honestly needed better friends, but he didn’t really have the energy to talk to new people. Besides, it wasn’t like he wasn’t fine with being alone, most days. It wasn’t a big deal to him.</p><p>When he looked out the window, he realized that they were close to the beach. Renjun pulled the cord, and when the bus lurched to a stop, they immediately scrambled for the door, calling out “thank you”s over their shoulders as they hopped onto the curb.</p><p>“Kuma’s is this way.” Renjun pointed up the street. “You’ve never been, right?”</p><p>Mark shook his head. “Nope, my friends and I usually get Gong Cha or something.”</p><p>Renjun pulled a face. “I don’t like chain boba shops.”</p><p>Huh. So Renjun was a bubble tea snob. Donghyuck immediately launched an argument over the best boba toppings. He was a fan of jellies, it seemed, while Renjun preferred classic tapioca or yogurt bubbles. They argued the entire way to the shop, a small building tucked between a bookstore and an ice cream parlour. Donghyuck called Renjun an uncultured wet sock, and Renjun tried to push him in the street, despite it being empty of cars. Mark just laughed, holding the door open for them as they finally agreed to disagree.</p><p>“Thank you,” Renjun said, batting his eyelashes as he entered the shop, Donghyuck on his heels. Mark followed them to a booth, watching as they plopped down on the seats like they owned the place. <em>They must come here a lot. </em></p><p>It was pretty far from the school, but Mark liked the atmosphere. There were Polaroids of customers all over the wall next to them, displaying dates and signatures. On the other side, the wall was lined with shelves stuffed full of books and board games. There was a counter at the back where Mark could see workers making drinks, and the front had huge windows painted with cartoon bears.</p><p>“I think I want a lemon yogurt smoothie,” Renjun said, studying the menu like it was a textbook.</p><p>“I’ll just have taro,” Donghyuck said. “But I definitely want a snack. Garlic fries?”</p><p>“We could get one big order and split it between us three,” Renjun suggested. “If you’re cool with that, Mark?”</p><p>“Uh, sure,” Mark replied. “Fries sound good.”</p><p>He looked at the menu, eventually deciding on getting taro too. There were a ton of flavours he hadn’t even heard of, but he wasn’t feeling experimental today. Maybe he would come back here. It seemed like a nice place to study, with all the bright lights and the relaxed atmosphere.</p><p>A waiter came to take their orders, then collected their menus and left them alone. Mark immediately felt awkward, unsure of what to do or say. Donghyuck, on the other hand, seemed to have no such qualms.</p><p>“Wanna see something deeply disturbing?” He asked, and before Mark could reply, Donghyuck shoved his phone screen in his face. It was a video on Twitter of someone using a can opener on the plastic lid of their boba. Mark couldn’t stop from pulling a disgusted face.</p><p>“Why would anyone do that?” Mark asked, horrified.</p><p>“What?” Renjun asked, leaning into Donghyuck as he turned his phone around to show him the video. “Oh my god, no. Why would you show us that?”</p><p>“If I had to see it, you do too,” Donghyuck replied, putting his phone down. “Do you guys wanna play a board game or something?”</p><p>“Jenga?” Renjun suggested, and Donghyuck immediately climbed over him, navigating through the crowded tables to get to the shelves. Mark watched him go, but when he turned to Renjun, he was surprised to find the other already staring at him. He felt his cheeks redden without his permission when they made eye contact.</p><p>“I’ll have you know, I’m <em>very </em>good at Jenga,” Renjun warned, the teasing lilt to his voice matching the mischievous twinkle in his eye. “And Donghyuck is almost as good.”</p><p>“I suck at Jenga,” Mark admitted with a sigh. “But I don’t mind playing. It’s really fun.”</p><p>“It’s better with more players,” Donghyuck said, sliding into the booth and placing the jar of blocks on the table. “Jun and I don’t really like hanging out with other people, though.”</p><p>The way he phrased it made Mark feel warm inside. He wondered if Donghyuck did it purposely — if Donghyuck didn’t hate him after all. It felt like wistful thinking though, so he cut off that train of thought and helped Renjun set up the tower. They played rock-paper-scissors for the turn rotation, and Mark ended up going last.</p><p>Renjun and Donghyuck immediately went for the bottom blocks, leaving the tower to balance on one block in the middle. Mark bit his lip in concentration when it was his turn, slowly tapping out a brick near the top and placing it carefully on top. Renjun tapped his fingers impatiently on the tabletop, during Mark’s turn, then lit up when his own came.</p><p>“Watch this,” Donghyuck told Mark, just as Renjun swept his hand across the table in one smooth slice, effectively knocking the bottom block out from under the tower without disrupting the others. Mark gaped in awe as Renjun placed the block on top, a smug smile painted on his lips.</p><p>“He mastered it like two years ago, and he does it every time we play with someone new,” Donghyuck explained, expertly sliding another block out from the middle and adding it to the top. “I’ve seen it like a hundred times.”</p><p>“Well, I’ve never seen anyone do it, and it was pretty cool to me,” Mark said as he reached for another block. “I don’t think I could do it even if I tried a thousand times.”</p><p>“I can’t do it either,” Donghyuck admitted, and Renjun smirked as he leaned back in his seat. Distracted, Mark miscalculated the distance between him and the tower, his hand bumping into the center and sending it crumbling down.</p><p>“Wow, Mark, you didn’t even last two turns,” Donghyuck said dryly, and Mark’s ears burned. “When you said you were bad, I didn’t know you meant <em>this </em>bad.”</p><p>“I swear I’m usually better,” Mark insisted. “I was just…distracted.”</p><p>Donghyuck leaned forward, leering wickedly. His eyes flickered to Renjun before training back on Mark, gaze cold. “Oh? By what?”</p><p>Mark froze when it dawned on him. <em>Donghyuck knew. </em>“I—“</p><p>“Here you are.” <em>Saved by the waiter</em>. He set a glass in front of each of them, and a basket of garlic fries in the middle of the table. Mark watched as Donghyuck immediately stole Renjun’s drink, taking a sip before sliding it down to Renjun and reaching for his own. He drew his own glass towards him, grateful that he didn’t have to answer Donghyuck’s question.</p><p>“Play again?” Renjun asked, but he didn’t wait for their replies before he started assembling the tower. This time, Mark didn’t reach out to help, focusing on his drink instead. He stared at the bubbles at the top, worrying at his lower lip. What if Donghyuck was angry about Mark getting flustered over his boyfriend? It wasn’t like Mark actually <em>did </em>anything, though, so would he really be mad over something like that? But, then again, he was pretty sure Donghyuck already didn’t like him. This had to be icing on the cake.</p><p>He sighed, deciding to focus on the game instead. If this was the last time he was going to hang out with Donghyuck and Renjun, he might as well make the most of it.</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Do you guys wanna go to the beach?” Donghyuck suggested once he had finished his drink and the rest of Renjun’s. They had switched from Jenga to Goldfish, but had given up after it had gotten violent (re: Renjun was a cheater and Donghyuck had bitten him twice). He was shocked that he felt like spending more time with Mark, but he didn’t really want the day to end. He was having a good time, and Renjun obviously was, too.</p><p>“The water will be cold, though,” Mark said with a frown, sucking his lower lip between his teeth. He did that a lot, Donghyuck noticed. Not that he was paying attention to Mark Lee’s mouth.</p><p>“We don’t have to go in the water,” Donghyuck said, and when he saw that Mark was still hesitant, he turned on his puppy eyes. “Please, I really wanna go.”</p><p>To his surprise, it worked, and Mark agreed to go. He thought he was going to have to enlist Renjun’s help, since Mark was clearly whipped for him. It wasn’t like Donghyuck could really <em>blame </em>Mark — he, too, was whipped for Renjun.</p><p>Renjun went to go pay, gathering cash from both Mark and Donghyuck and leaving the change in the tip jar, and Mark was nice enough to put away the cards and Jenga blocks. Renjun returned with one of the shop’s Instax Minis and three pieces of film. They cost a dollar each, and he and Renjun always took a photo whenever they came, either keeping them or pinning them on the wall with the others. He didn’t think they would be sharing that tradition with Mark, but he found he didn’t mind so much. After asking a customer to take their photos three times, they each had a Polaroid of the three of them. Donghyuck shoved his in his binder after it had developed and dried, but he watched curiously as Mark carefully put his photo in his wallet, right in the ID window.</p><p>“Brr, it’s getting chilly,” Renjun said when they stepped out of the shop. Donghyuck snorted — it was only a few degrees cooler, but Renjun was always sensitive to the cold.</p><p>“I have an extra hoodie in my bag if you want,” Mark offered, and dug a sweater out of his stupidly big backpack, passing it over to Renjun who accepted it with a grateful smile. He slipped it on, and Donghyuck helped him straighten out the fabric. It fit okay for the most part, but the sleeves fell past Renjun’s wrists, giving him adorable sweater paws. Donghyuck looked up to catch Mark staring at them, too.</p><p>He had no idea what the emotions stirring in his gut were. Jealousy? His jealousy was usually white-hot, not dull and slightly nauseating. He decided not to dwell on it, instead skipping ahead of them.</p><p>“It’s like a twenty minute walk,” Donghyuck said, squinting down the road as if he could see the beach that way. He turned to Mark and Renjun. “Or we could take the bus?”</p><p>“I don’t mind walking,” Renjun and Mark said simultaneously. They looked at each other in surprise before bursting into laughter.</p><p>“You guys share one brain cell,” Donghyuck said with a grin, turning back around. “Last one to the beach has to go in the water!”</p><p>And that was the only warning he gave them before he broke into a sprint, charging down the sidewalk with gleeful laughter as Renjun cursed loudly behind him. He heard footsteps as they followed, but he had a head start, and he was faster, the pent up energy from sitting all day in class giving him an extra burst of speed. He reached the path that split off from the sidewalk to the paved trail beside the beach and immediately headed down it, charging down the wooden steps and giggling madly in triumph when his feet touched the sand. Renjun jumped off the last of the steps right behind him, with Mark hot on his heels.</p><p>“Damn, you guys are fast,” Mark panted, and Renjun started giggling too, still breathless. The three of them stood there for a moment, trying to catch their breaths and ultimately failing when they kept setting each other off into peals of laughter. “You’re not really gonna make me go in the water, are you?”</p><p>“Sorry, Mark. Rules are rules!” Donghyuck said cheerfully. Mark groaned, but after a moment he took off his hoodie, stepped out of his shoes and removed his track pants, leaving him in a t-shirt and basketball shorts.</p><p>“I’m only going in up to my knees,” Mark said, and Donghyuck held his hands up as if to say <em>no arguments from me. </em></p><p>Renjun and Donghyuck solemnly marched alongside Mark to the water, as if they were sending him off to war rather than a very cold lake. They both held their hands out in case Mark tried to break for it, but he walked all the way to the edge of the water before he hesitated.</p><p>“Any time now, Mark,” Donghyuck teased, waiting for Mark to back out.</p><p>“Okay, okay,” Mark replied. He took a deep breath, eyes closed in preparation, then popped them open and charged straight into the lake, shrieking when he touched the cold water. Donghyuck and Renjun exchanged wide eyed glances, neither of them expecting for Mark to actually go in, before bursting into laughter. “Holy shit, it’s so cold!”</p><p>“Suck it up, Canada!” Donghyuck called through his tears, clutching at his stomach when his ribs began to ache from laughing so hard. “You should be used to the cold.”</p><p>Mark spun around with a scowl, heading towards the shore. Donghyuck saw him look up, make eye contact with him, and felt his cheeks burn. Then, he saw Mark slip, watching as his eyes went wide with panic for a split second before he went down into the water with a loud splash. Renjun was already wading in despite being fully dressed, his laughter replaced by a worried expression as he helped Mark to his feet and the two of them made it back to the sand. Renjun was only wet halfway up his calves, but his shoes were definitely soaked. Mark, on the other hand, was completely drenched, shivering so badly he nearly lost his balance when Renjun let him go.</p><p>“Can’t believe I…fell on my ass…” Mark could barely get the words out through his chattering teeth, and eventually just stumbled over to a dry patch of sand away from the water, flopping down like it pained him to stand up. Donghyuck thought it would be funny, to see someone he thought he disliked looking like a drowned rat, but he just felt sick with guilt.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Donghyuck said, sitting down on the sand next to Mark while Renjun ran to grab Mark’s clothes and bags. “I shouldn’t have made you go in the water.”</p><p>“Nah,” Mark replied, somehow managing to smile. His lips were starting to turn purple. “You didn’t make me do anything, and it was my fault that I fell, too. I was distracted.”</p><p><em>By Renjun? </em>Donghyuck wanted to ask, but Mark hadn’t been looking at Renjun.</p><p>Mark had been looking at Donghyuck.</p><p>“Here, I have a gym towel,” Renjun appeared next to Mark, kicking his soggy shoes off, leaving him in wet socks as he wrapped his towel around Mark’s shoulders. Donghyuck wrinkled his nose, because while Renjun was as clean as they came, he had also used that towel this morning. Still, it wasn’t like Mark had any other options, so Donghyuck kept his mouth shut.</p><p>“We should go to the bathrooms. Mark can dry his hair under the hand dryer and change into his dry clothes,” Donghyuck suggested, watching as Mark rummaged through his own duffel and pulled out a smaller, zippered bag. He was still shivering, but it wasn’t too bad, and his lips were back to normal after spending some time in the sun.</p><p>“Yeah, good idea. I’m gonna stay here because my shoes need to dry out, but you guys should definitely go,” Renjun said, handing Donghyuck the hoodie and track pants Mark had been wearing earlier. He stripped his wet socks off and picked up his shoes, and his and Mark’s bags. “I’m gonna lay these out on that big rock over there to dry. Don’t worry, I’ll watch our stuff.”</p><p>“Okay,” Donghyuck replied, inwardly cringing at the thought of spending time with Mark alone. But his guilt overrode his apprehensiveness, and he helped Mark to his feet once more, walking alongside him to the bathrooms.</p><p>Luckily, no one else was inside, so Mark immediately turned the hand dryer on blast and sat underneath it. Donghyuck stood next to him, pressing the button over and over so it wouldn’t turn off, watching as Mark scrubbed his hands through his hair, fluffing it with his fingers so the hot air would help it dry.</p><p>“Hey, this dryer is pretty good,” Mark said, his mouth forming an ‘O’ when he realized his hair had dried. It was sticking up all over the place, and looked soft like a bird’s down feathers. Donghyuck quickly glanced away, his cheeks heating up. “I wish I had a spare shirt, it’ll be weird to go shirtless underneath a hoodie.”</p><p>“Weirder to go commando,” Donghyuck pointed out, handing Mark his clothes.</p><p>Mark waved the bag he had brought with him. “My mom kinda trained me to always keep extra socks and underwear in my gym bag in case of an emergency. I don’t know if this is what she was thinking about, but damn, I’m grateful.”</p><p>Donghyuck tried not to think about how good the curse word sounded on Mark’s tongue as he stood up and slipped into one of the stalls to change. He also tried not to think about how Mark was getting naked barely two feet away from him. He definitely didn’t care about what Mark’s body might look like under those baggy clothes, his lithe body toned from athletics.</p><p><em>Fuck, </em>Donghyuck thought, smacking his cheeks with his hands to clear his mind. <em>Wait, I just remembered something! </em>“Mark, I have my jersey in my bag if you want to wear it.”</p><p>“Really?” He didn’t know what to make of the delight in Mark’s voice. “Yeah, that’d be great, Hyuck!”</p><p><em>Hyuck. </em>Where did he learn that nickname? Donghyuck contemplated the way it sounded in Mark’s voice, and decided he didn’t hate it. He dug his practice jersey out of his bag, happy that he had chosen not to wear it this morning, and threw it over the door of the stall.</p><p>He didn’t consider the repercussions of his act of kindness until the stall door swung open and Mark stepped out wearing his shirt, his hoodie draped over one arm. It was a black, white, and red long sleeve, and Donghyuck had picked a bigger size so it fit Mark’s broader shoulders. It had his name printed over the right breast and his number on the back, with ‘LEE’ written on the bottom. Mark looked good in his jersey. Really good.</p><p>Donghyuck swallowed, unable to take his eyes off of Mark, who finally shrugged on the hoodie and reached back behind the door for Renjun’s towel, which must have been hanging on the hook.</p><p>“Thanks again, Donghyuck. I’ll wash it and return it tomorrow morning, don’t worry.”</p><p>He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t worried. Now come on, let’s get back to Renjun. He’s probably bored without us.”</p><p>And without waiting for Mark’s reply, he picked up his bag and speed walked out of the bathroom, cheeks burning. He heard Mark’s footsteps behind him, but luckily he didn’t try to keep pace with Donghyuck, instead following at his heels.</p><p>Donghyuck headed over to where Renjun was laid flat on one of the giant rocks near the water, looking like a mermaid taking a nap, or maybe a cat basking in the sun. His shoes were beside him, and his and Mark’s bags were perched on another rock.</p><p>“Injunnie!” Donghyuck called as he got closer. “Take up modelling, you look good!”</p><p>Renjun cracked up, posing dramatically on the rock with one hand flung into the air. “I’m an <em>influencer, </em>get it right.”</p><p>“Oh god, please, no,” Donghyuck begged, sliding onto the rock as Renjun sat up to give him space. “Anything but an influencer.”</p><p>“What are influencers?” Mark asked, climbing on top of the bigger rock behind him.</p><p>“Are you a boomer?” Mark gave him a confused look. “Never mind. Influencers are like people on Instagram and stuff that promote certain lifestyles. Like fitness or travel or something. They usually just look pretty and post brand deals.”</p><p>“Oh cool. Then you could be one too, right?”</p><p><em>Is he calling me pretty? </em>Donghyuck didn’t have time to dwell on it before Renjun snorted. “As if, he’d probably be a Twitch streamer before he becomes an influencer selling knock off Sugar Bear Hair products.”</p><p>“I’m not good enough to be a streamer,” Donghyuck muttered.</p><p>“Well, lots of people aren’t that good but they start a channel anyway. I think it doesn’t matter if you’re good or not, as long as you’re entertaining enough for people to watch, right? I mean, I watch Yukhei play games all the time, and he’s awful at them, but it’s so funny because he tries to find secret passages or something and he always ends up dying in the funniest ways,” Mark said, and Donghyuck couldn’t take his earnest expression. He looked like a puppy, and Donghyuck was finding it harder and harder to dislike him.</p><p>“That’s true, Hyuck,” Renjun mused. “Maybe you could sell your gamer girl bath water.”</p><p>“I’ll show you bath water,” Donghyuck growled playfully, lunging at Renjun and trying to push him off the rock. Renjun shrieked, scrambling to his feet and jumping onto Mark’s rock, hiding behind him.</p><p>“Don’t take me, take Mark instead! I’m cuter!”</p><p>“No way! I already went for one impromptu lake bath, I don’t need another!” Mark jumped to his feet too, holding his hands up in surrender. Renjun ducked behind him completely, somehow managing to hide his entire frame despite only being a couple inches shorter than Mark.</p><p>“Fine, you’re safe this time,” Donghyuck said, giving up in favour of jumping off the rocks into the sand. “Wanna walk along the shore before we head home? I think your shoes are dry, Renjun.”</p><p>“They’re not,” Renjun said with a sigh, poking at his shoes. “But it’s fine, I’ve had worse. A walk sounds really good, Hyuckie.”</p><p>“Let’s go then,” Donghyuck cheered, offering Renjun his hand once he had put his shoes on and grabbed his bag. Renjun took it, intertwining their fingers the way he always did. They didn’t hold hands often, but Donghyuck loved it when they did.</p><p>He didn’t expect Renjun to reach out and grab Mark’s hand, too, but he found he didn’t mind so much.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you liked this chapter, please consider leaving a kudos and/or comment! they are what really motivates me to write more. i can't wait to share the next part of this fic with you. see you next sunday for chapter two.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Renjun falls too, Mark and Donghyuck come out of the closet, and there are a lot of apologies.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>welcome back to another chapter!</p>
<p>or, if you're new here, then i hope you enjoyed the first chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>🏐</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I set everything up last night before I went to bed. I only have two tripods, though, so we’re only getting two angles. And I have a smaller camcorder that we can use for close-ups and stuff.”</p>
<p>Renjun nodded, pushing open the school’s front doors and holding it for Mark. Donghyuck had pouted something fierce when Renjun told him he couldn’t come over because Renjun was going to Mark’s. Renjun had invited him to come along, but Donghyuck had said something about <em>fraternizing with the enemy </em>and stole Renjun’s milk carton. He knew that Donghyuck was bitter about the basketball team getting to go to training camp when they couldn’t even get new jerseys, but he didn’t think Donghyuck would keep up the pretense of disliking Mark.</p>
<p>He himself was starting to become fond of Mark. It was hard not to, when Mark was so endearing. He lit up whenever he was talking about his passions, and he was always eager to please. He was smart, too, and talented. He did have poor taste in sports, but nobody could be perfect.</p>
<p>Mark talked a lot, though. Renjun wondered if it was a product of being the outcast in his group of friends, since that was obvious to him from the start. Mark’s friends treated him more like a mascot than a member of their group, but it was none of Renjun’s business.</p>
<p>He began to reconsider his original opinion when he walked into Mark’s house and found it completely void of any family members. Even the photos of the wall were just of Mark and someone Renjun guessed was his mother.</p>
<p>“My mom’s not home, she’s on another business trip,” Mark explained. “But she made sure to stock the fridge and pantry, so we’re good to go.”</p>
<p>“Sounds good.” Renjun glanced at the bookshelf on the wall, noting the thin coating of dust that was explained by Mark’s mother’s absence. His own mother would faint at the sight, but it was a big house. He imagined it would be hard to clean all by yourself. He wondered if Mark ever felt lonely. “You have a lot of these books.<em> Chicken Soup for the Soul?</em>”</p>
<p>He pointed at a shelf filled with similar titles books, and Mark nodded. “Yeah, I was addicted to them growing up. It’s kind of embarrassing now, but they gave me a lot of hope as a kid.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think it’s embarrassing,” Renjun said nonchalantly. “Anyway, we should get started. Lead the way, captain.”</p>
<p>“Sure,” Mark said. “Just through that door.” Renjun followed his instructions, padding across the hardwood floor and poking his head through the open doorway to examine the kitchen. It was way bigger than Renjun’s tiny apartment kitchen, with tons of cabinets, a double door fridge-freezer combo, and an oven with a stovetop that Renjun couldn’t <em>wait </em>to use. Mark had set up one light kit and two cameras on tripods pointed at the island. There was already a set of knives, two cutting boards, and measuring cups on the counter.</p>
<p>“Wow, you have everything,” Renjun said, already reaching for a knife in the wooden block. He was delighted to find they were Japanese, made of stainless steel alloys. “You must cook a lot, then.”</p>
<p>Mark laughed. “Actually, I used to be horrible at cooking. And I mean <em>horrible. </em>I couldn’t even, like, fry an egg without burning it or myself.”</p>
<p>“Really?” And he was in an advanced cooking class? Granted, it was a <em>high school </em>cooking class, but Renjun was still impressed. “What changed?”</p>
<p>“My mom got promoted,” Mark explained. “She’s in charge of all overseas promotions for her company, so she’s gone pretty often. I had to learn how to cook, fast, or I’d starve. I mean, I couldn’t live off of instant food forever, right? My babysitters, Seulgi and Joohyun, taught me how to cook for the most part. And when I got the hang of it and Mom stopped hiring them, I took a class last year and well, here I am.”</p>
<p>“In the same class as me,” Renjun said with a grin. “So let’s get started.”</p>
<p>They had decided earlier in the week that they were going to make potstickers. Renjun had his own rendition of a recipe taught to him by his mother — chicken potstickers with sweetcorn filling. His favourite thing about potstickers was that they were soft at the steamed top but the fried bottom was crispy.</p>
<p>“How do you want to do this, then?” Mark asked, washing his hands in the sink. Renjun stood next to him, waiting his turn, then quickly stuck his hands under the tap, scrubbing at his fingernails and between the knuckles. Mark’s hand soap smelled cucumber and melon, and Renjun couldn’t help hyperfocusing on the scent. “Renjun?”</p>
<p>“What? Oh, sorry. Um, let’s set out all the ingredients and then just… go from there? I don’t think we need a script or anything. Did you get the recipe I sent you?”</p>
<p>Mark nodded. “Yup, already put in the book.”</p>
<p>Renjun smiled. “Cool, then show me where you keep your spices.”</p>
<p>It only took them a few minutes to set everything up. Renjun quickly learned the way Mark and his mom had their kitchen organized, and after that it was easy to navigate. He usually hated cooking when someone else was in the kitchen, but Mark never got in his way.</p>
<p>“Ready to switch the cameras on?” Mark asked once they had laid everything out on the counter.</p>
<p>“Do I look okay?” Renjun fretted, adjusting the strings of the apron he had packed in his bag. His was plain black, but Mark’s was covered in a Rilakkuma pattern. The contrast almost made him laugh, half-hysterical as he pulled out his phone to check his reflection. He wasn’t the type to worry about looks, usually, but he also rarely recorded himself. And all of his classmates were going to see this…</p>
<p>“You look great!” Mark beamed, giving Renjun a dorky thumbs up. Somehow, Renjun knew he was telling the truth, and put his phone away. It was weird to have someone be so genuine with him without having any ulterior motives, but Mark seemed to just naturally be like that. It was annoying. (Definitely not adorable, not at all.)</p>
<p>“Okay, then turn the cameras on before I regret agreeing to this,” Renjun said, smiling to soften the words. Mark threw his head back and laughed, even though it wasn’t that funny, before rounding the island to switch on the cameras and hurrying back to position himself next to Renjun.</p>
<p>Mark started their intro, still smiling happily. “Hello, this is Mark—”</p>
<p>“Ren—“ Renjun chimed in.</p>
<p>“Cooking show!” They exclaimed in unison. Renjun’s cheeks hurt from fake smiling, but Mark seemed to be having a blast.</p>
<p>“I’m Mark, and this is Renjun. Today, we’re going to be making chicken potstickers with a sweetcorn filling,” Mark said, waving both of his hands excitedly.</p>
<p>“Potstickers are Chinese dumplings that are pan-fried and not steamed,” Renjun explained to the camera. “It’s a literal translation of its original name, <em>guō tiē. </em>We’ll be using an adaptation of a recipe that my mother taught me. So let’s get right into it! Here we have minced chicken — I like to use chicken thigh — sweetcorn, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, ground sichuan pepper, and salt.”</p>
<p>Once he got into the zone, it was easy to forget about the cameras. He focused on narrating the steps out loud, leaving Mark to make witty commentary as he unwrapped and separated the dumpling wrappers while Renjun mixed the filling. They kept cutting each other off at first, but after a few minutes, they had no problem fitting in each other’s gaps, like two puzzle pieces. Renjun never thought he could get along with someone so well. He and Hyuck clashed all the time, even with their weird bond.</p>
<p>Mark acted more like his assistant than his partner, but Renjun didn't think he minded considering how much he was smiling. They finished up the recipe and only messed up once, triumphantly presenting their potstickers to the cameras. Mark switched off the video cameras and turned on the lighting kit. He pulled out this mini white screen and set it up behind the plate, then took one of the cameras and spent a few minutes taking photos while Renjun watched.</p>
<p>"You're really good with cameras," Renjun commented once they had turned everything off. Mark handed him a pair of chopsticks with a bashful grin, and they immediately set in on the potstickers they had made. They had already cooled down a significant amount, but they were still good. Renjun had shown Mark how to use a starchy slurry in order to make a crispy, lace-like skirt around the dumplings.</p>
<p>"These are really good," Mark said happily, pushing another bite into his mouth. His cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk. Renjun wanted to reach out and pinch them. He finished the dumpling he was on and slid his last three over to Mark.</p>
<p>"Here, have mine. I'm kind of full already," Renjun lied. "And I gotta eat dinner when I get home."</p>
<p>"You sure?" Mark asked, and when Renjun nodded, he dug in with renowned enthusiasm. Renjun couldn't help but stare. He had always liked when people appreciated his food — it was part of why he enjoyed cooking so much — but it felt... different. With Mark. He felt so proud of himself for being able to make Mark smile like that with just a simple dish</p>
<p>"Ah, that was so good!" Mark exclaimed once he was done. "You're a really good cook, Renjun."</p>
<p>"Thanks," Renjun replied, cheeks pinking. He immediately turned away to hide his face, focusing on gathering the empty dishes. "Let me help you wash up."</p>
<p>"Oh, no, it's cool. I can do it," Mark insisted, taking the dishes from Renjun. "You're a guest, it would be rude to let you do the clean-up."</p>
<p>"Hey, I was the one who made most of the mess," Renjun argued. "At least let me help clean. I'd feel bad. Plus, my mom would kick my ass if she found out I cooked a meal without cleaning up after myself."</p>
<p>"Fine, fine," Mark relented. He handed Renjun a soft cloth from one of the drawers. "I'll wash, you dry and put away. Remember where everything goes?"</p>
<p>"Yup," Renjun said with a nod, moving aside so Mark could put everything in the sink. He gathered up all the waste and dumped it in the trash before standing next to Mark who was already elbow deep in soap suds. Renjun laughed at the lurid pink rubber gloves he was wearing and accepted the first dish, drying it quickly and putting it back in the cabinet. They powered through the rest of the dishes like that and it felt strangely domestic. He had never done anything like this with anyone but Donghyuck.</p>
<p>"Hey," Mark said, startling Renjun out of his thoughts. He blushed when he realized he had been standing there drying the last bowl for a few minutes. "What are you thinking about?"</p>
<p>"Just thinking about how fun this was," Renjun admitted. "I was worried when Ms. Fuentes mentioned partnering up, but this project would have been way more boring if I had done it alone."</p>
<p>To his surprise, Mark turned red, a pleased grin on his face. He scratched the back of his head, looking shy. "Ah, well. To be honest, I was pretty convinced that you hated me, so I was nervous about partnering up, too. But I had a really good time today!"</p>
<p>Renjun's stomach swooped. <em>Oh no. </em>"I never...hated you. But if I'm honest, I did dislike you a little at first. Not for anything personal, but I was a little bitter that you were on the basketball team and I kinda formed a biased opinion about you before I even really got to know you, so I'm sorry for that."</p>
<p>"Because I'm on the basketball team?" Mark didn't look offended, just confused.</p>
<p>Renjun sighed. "Well, the basketball team gets most of the athletic budget, and the volleyball team gets absolutely nothing, despite the fact that we make it to finals every year. It's super frustrating, and most of your teammates are assholes, no offence."</p>
<p>Mark laughed. "None taken. They really are a bunch of jerks. I would have quit if I didn't love the sport so much."</p>
<p>"I know the feeling," Renjun replied, thinking of how awful his middle school team was. “Anyway, I misjudged you, but I know better now.”</p>
<p>“And?” Mark leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. “What’s the verdict, Renjun Huang?”</p>
<p>Renjun flinched back, his heart racing. <em>Why is my heart beating so fast? Why does my face feel so hot? </em>He stared back at Mark, hyper aware of the sweat beading at his temple. He wiped his palms on the apron he had yet to take off, his skin crawling.</p>
<p>“I…” His gaze flickered down to Mark’s lips for a split second and he panicked, jumping back like something had struck him and startling the both of them. “I just remembered I have to do something! Yeah, my mom wanted me to buy eggs before I got home. I better go now, before the store closes!”</p>
<p>He rushed into the living room, scooping up his bag from where he left it on the couch. He heard Mark following him, but he refused to look at his face, stubbornly trying to put his shoes on without untying the laces.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to drive you home?” Mark asked, sounding confused and a little lost, but still so very sweet. Renjun wanted to cry. He finally shoved his foot into his shoe, swinging his backpack onto his shoulders and shaking his head frantically, stumbling back to put some distance between them. He knew he probably looked crazy, but he just had to get <em>away. </em></p>
<p>“No, I’m good, I can take the bus. I’ll text you or something, okay? Sorry, bye!” Renjun all but ran out the door, but not before he caught Mark’s tiny “bye”. He felt guilty, but not enough to turn around. He hurried down the sidewalk to the bus stop that would take him back to the school. He’d have to catch another bus there, and it would take maybe forty minutes, but he’d rather die than be stuck in a car with Mark right now.</p>
<p>As soon as he rounded the corner, he collapsed against a building, hand flying to his chest. He was breathing heavily, and it wasn’t from the speed walking.</p>
<p>
  <em>What the fuck happened back there? </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>🏀</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Renjun and Donghyuck were avoiding him.</p>
<p>He didn’t know what he expected, but maybe he thought they would be — not friends, per se, but friendlier. They had fun, didn’t they? And Renjun had come over yesterday for their project, and he said he had a good time but—</p>
<p>But they were avoiding him. Both of them. They refused to make eye contact during morning practice, and walked away whenever he tried to approach them. His questions had gone mostly unanswered, and though Renjun had shown up to Food and Nutrition, he had slipped his earphones in at the beginning of the period and resolutely ignored Mark for the entire class, scribbling recipes in his notebook with a steely expression that had Mark shrinking in his seat.</p>
<p>He was — confused, mostly. But he couldn’t deny that he felt a persistent ache forming in his chest when the bell rang and Renjun packed his things, fleeing like his life depended on it without even looking at Mark. He had thought that… maybe…</p>
<p>(<em>Maybe they could be friends. Maybe he was important enough to be part of their circle. Maybe they liked spending time with him as much as he did them.</em>)</p>
<p>Well, it didn’t matter now. Clearly, they were just being nice when they invited Mark to hang out that day. It was fine. Mark was <em>fine.</em></p>
<p>“Mark? Are you alright?” His teacher’s voice cut through the haze of his thoughts, and he realized with a start that he was still sitting in his classroom. He flushed, and immediately stood up, packing his things in a hurry.</p>
<p>“Sorry, Ms. Fuentes, I just blanked out. I’ll get going now.” As he shoved his things into his backpack, he spotted a small notebook laying open on the floor. <em>It must belong to Renjun. </em>He crouched down to pick it up, smiling a little at the Moomin stickers covering the front. He thought about taking it with him and messaging Renjun on Instagram or something to get him to meet with him. But then he remembered the way Renjun had refused to look at him today, and he sighed, straightening up. “Um, I think Renjun forgot his notebook. Can I leave it on your desk so he can get it tomorrow?”</p>
<p>“Of course!” His teacher replied, so he left the notebook on the desk and exited the classroom after saying goodbye. As soon as he stepped out of the hall, he heard someone calling his name. It was Yuta, with Yukhei and Doyoung, another member of the football team.</p>
<p>“Hey dude!” Yuta slung his arm around Mark’s neck, nearly knocking him over. Mark was still a little annoyed at having been stood up before, but he was too tired for a confrontation, so he just smiled politely at his friends. “How’ve you been?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Mark said with a shrug. “What’s up?”</p>
<p>“We’re heading to the library for a group study session, wanna come?” Yuta finally let go of Mark and reached for Doyoung as they headed down the stairs. Mark was surprised when Doyoung let him wrap an arm around his waist -- they no longer hated each other like they did when Yuta had beat Doyoung for captaincy, but Mark had no idea they were that friendly. More than friendly, judging by the way Yuta had slipped his hand in Doyoung’s back pocket.</p>
<p>“Aren’t they gross?” Yukhei whispered gleefully, grabbing Mark’s hand in his own. Mark sighed and let it happen.</p>
<p>“Honestly, I’d rather them like this than at each other's throats all the time. They were so annoying when they were trying to kill each other,” Mark whispered back. Yukhei laughed, probably remembering all the times Doyoung and Yuta had screaming matches in the locker room. “Remember when Yuta dumped that bucket of Gatorade over Doyoung’s head?”</p>
<p>“I thought Doyoung was going to <em>murder</em> him,” Yukhei said, wearing a grin that was far too bright. “This season is going to be better, though. We’re almost guaranteed to make it to finals this year. What about you?”</p>
<p>It took Mark a few seconds to realize Yukhei was talking about basketball. “Oh! I dunno, I guess our team is looking okay. Felix is still the only one that’s nice to me.”</p>
<p>Yukhei sighed. “Your team really sucks, Mark. How can you have chemistry <em>on</em> the court when you don’t even like each other off of it?”</p>
<p>Mark snorted. <em>I’m the only one they have a problem with. They’re cool with each other. </em>The casual racist and homophobic comments were off-putting enough, but the hostile glares had Mark genuinely afraid to turn his back for more than a few moments. It didn’t help that some of his teammates found out he was the manager for the volleyball team which they considered a “pussy sport”. They were complete <em>assholes, </em>and Mark was grateful this was going to be his last season with them.</p>
<p>“Let’s not dwell on it,” Mark ended up saying as they stepped outside. “Anyway, how have you been? Are you getting enough sleep?”</p>
<p>“No,” Yukhei replied honestly, a wry smile appearing on his face. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”</p>
<p>“That won’t take long if you keep this up,” Mark said.</p>
<p>“You’re so brutally honest,” Yukhei told him, swinging their joint hands. “I like it. Not everyone has your no-bullshit attitude.” It was an obvious attempt at changing the subject, but Mark let it slide. No matter how much he wanted to force Yukei to rest, he couldn’t. He wasn’t his mother. He was just a friend concerned for Yukhei’s well-being. Maybe when the student council’s schedule cleared up, he could invite Yukhei for a sleepover.</p>
<p>When they arrived at the library, Mark and Yukhei immediately snagged a table with couches while Doyoung and Yuta disappeared in the stacks. Yukhei pressed up against Mark’s side as he pulled out his laptop to go over the student council budget. Mark took out his own laptop to work on formatting his and Renjun’s recipe book, and a few minutes later he felt Yukhei’s head on his shoulder as he peered curiously at the screen.</p>
<p>“What’s that?</p>
<p>Mark sighed, tipping his head to rest against Yukhei’s. “It’s a project that I’m doing with Renjun for Nutrition. We have to make a recipe book.”</p>
<p>“Wow, you’re really going all out,” Yukhei commented. “One of the girls on the student council is in that class, and she’s just writing her recipes in a notebook.”</p>
<p>“This isn’t even the half of it,” Mark said with a grin. “We’re going to film every recipe and upload it onto YouTube, then put the QR codes into the book so you can scan it and watch how it’s made.”</p>
<p>“Whoa.” Mark felt incredibly validated by the way Yukhei’s eyes widened in awe. “That’s amazing, Mark. You guys are working hard.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Mark said. “I mean, we filmed one episode and it went pretty well, but…”</p>
<p>Yukhei sat up, tilting his head like a curious puppy. “Did something happen?”</p>
<p>Mark sighed. Did he want to talk about this? Evidently, he did, or maybe Yukhei just had a way of coaxing things out of him. “Well, I dunno. We finished up and it was good but then all of a sudden… he just got weird. Said he had to leave and practically ran out of the house. Now he’s been avoiding me.”</p>
<p>“Did you say anything to piss him off?” Yukhei asked, gently carding his fingers through Mark’s hair as if he was a kitten to be soothed. Still, Mark leaned into the comforting touch. He hadn’t realized how much he missed affection.</p>
<p>Mark frowned when the question dawned on him. “I don’t think so? I mean, he was saying that he didn’t like me originally, but only because he thought I was an asshole like the rest of my teammates. Then he said he misjudged me, so I asked him what he thought of me. I mean, I guess I was kind of teasing him, but I don’t think it was anything worth getting mad over.”</p>
<p>“Huh,” Yukhei said, leaning against Mark’s shoulder again. “Maybe it wasn’t anything you did. Maybe he just has something to work through on his own, and you just got caught up in the crossfire.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, maybe,” Mark sighed, “but then… why is Donghyuck avoiding me too?”</p>
<p>“Donghyuck?” Yukhei said, sounding surprised. “I mean no offence, but beyond being the manager for his team, aren’t you guys like total strangers?”</p>
<p>“Kind of.” Mark blew his bangs out of his face, slumping back into the couch. “I mean, they invited me to hang out and we went for boba and to the beach afterwards, so I thought we were chill but… he’s avoiding me, too.”</p>
<p>“Did you, like, hit on Renjun in front of him or something?”</p>
<p>“Dude!” Mark smacked Yukhei on the shoulder, looking around to make sure nobody had heard. “What the fuck? Of course not!”</p>
<p>Yukhei snickered. “I’m just kidding. But you gotta admit that you’re completely whipped for him. Otherwise you wouldn’t even care so much.”</p>
<p>Mark panicked, nearly dropping his laptop as he lunged to cover Yukhei’s mouth before he could keep talking. “Shut <em>up, </em>I am not! I just don’t like being hated by anyone, okay? I don’t think it’s that weird.”</p>
<p>“Who hates you, Markie?” Yuta's voice came from behind them. Mark glared at Yukhei, daring him to say something. Yukhei held his hands up in surrender, and Mark let him go just as Yuta appeared from behind one of the shelves, plopping on the couch across the table from them.</p>
<p>“Nobody,” Mark said stiffly. “Just some kids from the volleyball team.”</p>
<p>Yuta wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, they’re so uptight. Last year, they threw a fit because they weren’t included in the athletic banquet video. Like, who cares?”</p>
<p>“Didn’t they win the city championship last year?” Mark pointed out. “I think it’d suck to not be included in the athletes’ appreciation video when they’re, y’know. Athletes.”</p>
<p>“I guess you’re right, but I don’t think it’s worth getting <em>that </em>upset over,” Yuta said, taking out his textbooks from his bag. Doyoung joined them a few moments later, and they worked on their respective projects in a comfortable silence.</p>
<p>Mark finished formatting the page he was working on before switching to his Chemistry homework, pulling his notebook out of his bag. Yukhei tapped on his shoulder and asked him to explain the questions, so he spent a good few minutes running through each problem. It was nice, actually, and he felt at ease. Doyoung and Yuta’s muted conversation made for a good soundtrack to work to, and Yukhei was a solid and comforting weight pressed to his side.</p>
<p>Despite the issue with Renjun and Donghyuck, it was a pretty good day. He’d been having more of those lately.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Yukhei said once they had finished their worksheets, tucking his face against Mark’s neck. “I know it’s a school night but… could I sleep over?”</p>
<p>Mark softened. “Of course you can. Wanna go to the mall and then your house? I’ll drive.”</p>
<p>“Wow, you’re actually gonna drive? I’m definitely in.”</p>
<p>“Markie’s gonna drive?” Yuta asked. “Is the world ending?”</p>
<p>Mark scowled. “Hey, I drive!”</p>
<p>Yuta snorted. “Barely. Where are you guys going? Mind if we tag along? I’m gonna lose my mind if I have to go back to my house before six.”</p>
<p>“Just to the mall,” Mark answered, “and yeah if you don’t mind walking to my house first. Otherwise, you’re taking the bus.”</p>
<p>Yuta shuddered. “No thanks, public transportation gives me hives. I would never take it if I could avoid it, I dunno how you do it, Mark. I mean, you have a car, why not use it?”</p>
<p>“It’s not that bad,” Mark said, rolling his eyes. He avoided driving if he could, except for when he took his mom grocery shopping, but he wanted to get new clothes today, and he didn’t feel like carrying all the bags onto the bus. “You know I don’t like driving if I don’t have to. Taking the bus is better for the environment, anyway.”</p>
<p>“You act like it’s not big corporations polluting the air and water that’s killing the environment,” Yuta replied, but his tone was fond. “Hey, have you heard there’s a new plogging group for our school? Runs every Sunday, I thought you might be interested?”</p>
<p>“What’s plogging?” Yukhei asked curiously, his face still buried in the crook of Mark’s neck.</p>
<p>“Picking up litter and jogging,” Mark explained. “You do it in groups and run a trail or something, picking up trash on the way. Good way to help the environment <em>and </em>get some exercise in.”</p>
<p>“Sounds fun,” Yukhei murmured. “I’ll go if you go.”</p>
<p>“You’re not too busy?” Mark asked, packing up his things. “It’s okay if you are.”</p>
<p>“Nah,” Yukhei said, pulling back and offering Mark a tiny smile. “I can make some time. Don’t worry about it -- exercise relaxes me anyway. Aren’t you always saying I should take more time to relax?”</p>
<p>“That’s because you’re a workaholic,” Doyoung chimed in. He and Yuta had already put away all their things, and were waiting on Mark and Yukhei, who still hadn’t bothered turning off his laptop. “Come on, let’s go. I’ll treat you to Starbucks if you gather up your shit in two minutes.”</p>
<p>Mark had never seen Yukhei move so fast.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>🏐</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Donghyuck wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, taking a deep breath as Renjun tossed him the ball. His hands automatically formed a diamond above his hairline as he ran to get under the ball, pushing the ball right in front of Renjun’s POI with a flick of his wrists. He had been working on his precision all practice, trying to set the ball at the perfect spot for a B-quick. High speed passes were difficult enough, but if his accuracy faltered, the quick would be ineffective because the spiker would have to adjust to the ball.</p>
<p>“That one was good,” Renjun said with a huff. “God, I’m really not used to spiking.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Donghyuck replied breathlessly. “Just a few more, I think, and then I’ll help you with your receives.”</p>
<p>“I’m holding you to that,” Renjun said with a grin, reaching into the cart for another ball. “Ready?”</p>
<p>“As I’ll ever be,” Donghyuck replied, getting into position. Renjun tossed the ball to him, then immediately leapt up for the spike. Donghyuck set the ball to him, once again successfully putting it at his point of impact. His hand collided with the ball and sent it accelerating to the floor with a satisfying <em>smack, </em>landing on his feet and cheering.</p>
<p>“That was <em>perfect, </em>Hyuck. Best one yet.”</p>
<p>Donghyuck beamed, feeling his chest swell with pride. “Thanks, Jun. Couldn’t have done it without you.”</p>
<p>They were interrupted by the gym doors clicking open, and in came Coach Ferres, with Mark on his heels. Their manager was clutching a clipboard in one hand, his phone pressed to his ear by his shoulder as he scribbled something down, saying a cheerful “thank you!” and hanging up.</p>
<p>Renjun and Donghyuck exchanged glances.</p>
<p><em>You ask, </em>Renjun mouthed.</p>
<p><em>No, you, </em>Donghyuck mouthed back, and Renjun’s eyes narrowed, but he eventually acquiesced.</p>
<p>“What’s going on, Coach?” Renjun called, wincing when their coach tripped over one of the balls lying on the other side of the court.</p>
<p>“Oh, Renjun! Donghyuck!” The coach turned to them, looking surprised. “I didn’t realize you were still here. Didn’t practice end at five?”</p>
<p>Donghyuck shrugged. “We’re always here late. The custodians don’t mind as long as we clean and lock up.”</p>
<p>“Oh, okay,” the coach replied, seeming distracted as he peered at Mark’s clipboard. “Well, good news. Mark managed to get us a practice match with Whitelock.”</p>
<p><em>Huh? </em>“Isn’t Whitelock like… twelve hours away?” Donghyuck blurted before he could stop himself.</p>
<p>“Not Whitelock High,” Mark clarified. “Whitelock University. The junior team offered to play us and give us some tips before the season starts.”</p>
<p>“We’re playing a university team?” Renjun exclaimed, seemingly rejuvenated. His eyes were <em>sparkling, </em>and Donghyuck smiled at the way he lit up. “No fucking way!”</p>
<p>“How did you manage that?” Donghyuck asked Mark, who looked surprised to be addressed. He bit his lip, guilt washing over him. The past few days, he had been ignoring or straight up avoiding Mark, but he couldn’t help but panic whenever he remembered the way Mark had looked before he fell into the water, or how he looked wearing Donghyuck’s practice jersey. He had returned it the next morning, washed and neatly folded, smelling like vanilla fabric softener.</p>
<p>“Oh, I actually have a friend on the team?” Mark said. “His name is Johnny--”</p>
<p>“You’re friends with <em>the </em>Johnny Seo?” Donghyuck screeched, unable to contain himself.</p>
<p>“Yeah!” Mark said. “You know him?”</p>
<p>“Of course I know him,” Donghyuck stressed. “He won Best Middle Blocker <em>four years in a row. </em>He’s practically a legend! You’re telling me we get to <em>play </em>him?”</p>
<p>“Huh,” Renjun said, “guess I gotta work on my block follow-up.”</p>
<p>Renjun’s block follow-up was already pretty amazing, but Donghyuck took one look at the fire in his eyes and knew he would be treating Renjun’s scrapes and bruises for days as he trained. He didn’t mind playing nurse for his boyfriend, because Renjun was always quick to massage his wrists and shoulders whenever they were sore after a game.</p>
<p>“Wow, I didn’t know Johnny was that much of a celebrity,” Mark said.</p>
<p>Donghyuck raised an eyebrow. “He competed on the national under-19 team two years ago.”</p>
<p>“Haha, I guess you’re right.” Mark rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “He’s always just been Johnny to me.”</p>
<p>Donghyuck opened his mouth to reply, but Renjun stamped his foot, cutting him off. He gave Mark an apologetic glance before positioning himself to set the ball for Renjun once more. When he managed another perfect set, he switched to helping Renjun practice his receives. He was hyper aware of Mark sitting on the bleachers, watching them. It felt like his eyes were burning holes in the back of Donghyuck’s head.</p>
<p>They took a break after Renjun had received an entire cart of volleyballs. Donghyuck stretched out his shoulder, not wanting to tense up after performing so many serves. Heading to the bench where they had left their bags, Donghyuck handed Renjun a water bottle and then chugged down his own, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and grimacing when he tasted sweat.</p>
<p>“Shit,” Renjun said, and when Donghyuck looked over, he was tapping frantically at his phone screen. “I forgot I was supposed to go pick up my cousin from the airport. Oh no, my parents are almost here.”</p>
<p>He shot a regretful look at all the balls lying on the floor of the gym, and turned puppy eyes on Donghyuck who sighed and waved him off.</p>
<p>“Just go, I can clean up myself. But you owe me,” Donghyuck replied. “Two dinners, at <em>least.</em>”</p>
<p>“I’ll buy you three.” Renjun bounded up to him, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek and whispering a sweet “bye, I’ll text you later” before grabbing his bag and charging out the gym doors, not bothering to put on pants or a jacket or take off his knee pads. Donghyuck knew he was going to get a text from Renjun whining about scuffs on his volleyball court shoes. Served him right for buying the white Mizunos instead of the black ones like Donghyuck had recommended.</p>
<p>“I can help you clean up.” Donghyuck startled, spinning around. He hadn’t heard Mark come off the bleachers, but he was there, in front of Donghyuck. He was wearing his glasses today, round wireframes that made his eyes look even bigger than usual, and his hair was laying against his forehead.</p>
<p>“That’d be great, thanks,” he said, looking away. His heart was beating fast, and he tried to pretend that it was the exercise. His stomach rolled with guilt. He knew there was nothing wrong with finding someone attractive while being in a relationship. He and Renjun always talked about how cute other guys were, and it never meant anything more than just an appreciation of aesthetics. But with Mark… it was different. It wasn’t just on a physical level — and he had no idea what to do about it.</p>
<p>By the time he finished collecting all the balls and putting them back in the cart, he was sweating nervously. He just wanted to finish cleaning up and go before he could dwell on it any longer. Tonight, Renjun would be busy with his cousin, but maybe Donghyuck could call him later and spill his guts. He needed to apologize to Renjun and eliminate the feelings rooted in his heart before they even sprouted.</p>
<p>“Hey, Donghyuck,” Mark called from inside the storage room. I can’t get the second pole on the stand, can you help me?”</p>
<p>Donghyuck sighed, pushing the cart toward the doors and leaving it in the corner. Mark had already carefully folded the net and put it in the basket, and the first pole was already settled neatly on the stand. Mark was effortlessly carrying the second pole, but the pole wouldn’t click in place and he was getting visibly frustrated.</p>
<p>“Here,” Donghyuck said, kneeling on the ground and guiding the bottom of the pole onto the stand. “You have to just wiggle it around like this… now stand it up?” Without a word, Mark pushed the pole up until it rested against the wall and clicked into place. “Perfect, now let’s just…”</p>
<p>
  <em>Click.</em>
</p>
<p>The lights flickered off, which normally wouldn’t be a problem because Donghyuck had left the door open, so there should be light coming from the gym, except it was pitch black. Somehow, the door had closed behind them.</p>
<p>“Oh no,” Donghyuck whispered, feeling along in the wall in the dark until he reached the door, luckily managing to not trip over anything. He pushed at the door, but it didn’t give. “Oh my god, it’s locked.”</p>
<p>“Is there a way to unlock it from the inside?” Donghyuck jumped. He hadn’t heard Mark come up behind him, but when he turned he could only see Mark’s shoes, slightly illuminated by the light coming from the crack under the door.</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Donghyuck said. “I can’t see anything. Fuck, I left my phone out there.”</p>
<p>“Shit, I did too,” Mark said, and Donghyuck flinched when he felt something bump into his side. “Oh, sorry. I can’t see anything either.”</p>
<p>Panicking, Donghyuck felt around the door for a switch or a button or <em>something </em>that would help them open the door. He had no idea why the gym teacher had locked it. He didn’t even know how the door swung closed in the first place. And unfortunately, the lights were automatic instead of motion sensor activated like the classrooms, and switched off whenever the doors closed.</p>
<p>“<em>Fuck.” </em>Donghyuck kicked at the door. It barely even budged. He wouldn’t be able to break it down somehow. He kicked at it again, feeling desperate. What if they were stuck in here overnight?</p>
<p>“Hey, calm down, you’re only gonna hurt yourself.” He felt a hand on his elbow, pulling him back from the door, and he stumbled backwards straight into Mark’s chest.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Donghyuck said, pulling away immediately. He backed up until he felt the door behind him, and sank to the ground. “I’m freaking out, a little. I just wish I could <em>see.</em>”</p>
<p>“Oh, wait!” He heard rustling, then the sound of keys jingling, and then suddenly Mark’s face lit up in front of him. He had a small flashlight attached to his key fob, and though it wasn’t very bright, it was enough. “Here, you can hold it. It’s only gonna last about an hour, though.”</p>
<p>“It’s perfect,” Donghyuck breathed, accepting the flashlight. Mark didn’t even seem to care that he was giving Donghyuck his house and car keys. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“No problem.” Donghyuck regretted holding the light to Mark’s face, because now he could see his brilliant, pleased smile as he looked at Donghyuck. “I’m sorry. If I hadn’t called you in here to help me, we wouldn’t be stuck in this situation.”</p>
<p>God, how could someone be so sweet? “Don’t apologize, seriously. I think I might have bumped into the door on my way in or something. It’s no one’s fault, just an unfortunate situation.”</p>
<p>He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. It was cold, and he was still in his shorts. He rested his head on his knee pads, despite the fact that they needed to be washed. He was tired from pushing himself so hard in practice, and it didn’t help that his body was starting to ache. He needed a hot shower, or maybe a bath. He didn’t need to be stuck in a storage room with Mark fucking Lee.</p>
<p>“God, it’s freezing,” Donghyuck huffed a few moments later. “How long have we been in here?”</p>
<p>“No idea,” Mark said. “Flashlight’s still on, so it can’t have been an hour yet.”</p>
<p>Donghyuck heard more rustling, so he turned the flashlight to see Mark unzipping his hoodie. He was surprised when Mark thrusted it in his direction.</p>
<p>“No, I’m okay,” he said immediately.</p>
<p>“You need to keep warm. You just exercised a lot, you’ll get sick if you don’t,” Mark insisted. “I’m your manager, it’s my job to take care of you.”</p>
<p>Donghyuck felt so flustered that he accepted the hoodie without thinking, and well, he really <em>was </em>cold. He pushed his arms through the sleeves, sighing when he was engulfed with the residual heat from Mark’s body. He pulled the hood up over his ears, and rested his head back against the door. He could detect the faint scent of Mark’s cologne, something musky with an underlying sweetness to it.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you a question?” Mark said. Donghyuck opened his eyes, unable to remember when he closed them. How long had it been? Mark’s little flashlight was still shining in Donghyuck’s grasp, so it couldn’t have been that long.</p>
<p>“Sure,” Donghyuck replied after a moment. He tightened his fingers in the fabric of the hoodie, nervous for what Mark was going to say.</p>
<p>“Do you hate me?”</p>
<p>Donghyuck blinked — he wasn’t expecting that at all. But in the dim glow of the flashlight Mark looked both exhausted and vulnerable.</p>
<p>There was something about his expression that made Donghyuck feel the need to be honest.</p>
<p>“I don’t hate you,” Donghyuck murmured, staring at his shoes. “I hate how you make me feel.”</p>
<p><em>Why did I say that? Why the fuck did I say that? </em>He heard Mark choke, and shrank lower into the fabric of his hoodie, heart pounding. He was too scared to look up and see Mark’s reaction. He had no idea what he was doing.</p>
<p>“Hyuck?” God, he loved the way Mark said his name, even with the tremble in his voice. “What do you mea—wait, did you hear that?”</p>
<p>Donghyuck blinked. “Hear what?”</p>
<p>Suddenly, Mark pressed forward, so close that Donghyuck squeezed his eyes shut, but he felt Mark kneel beside him with his ear pressed to the door.</p>
<p>“I think I heard someone!” Mark began pounding on the door. “Hello?! Anyone there?! We’re stuck inside the storage room!”</p>
<p>They heard footsteps, then the sound of keys jangling, and the door suddenly swung open, nearly sending both Mark and Donghyuck flying.</p>
<p>“What are you guys doing here?” It was Nancy, one of the sweet custodians that always helped them lock up after practice, and never minded when he and Renjun stayed late.</p>
<p>“We were putting the net away, and the door swung shut and trapped us in here!” Donghyuck scrambled to his feet, leaving Mark’s keys on the ground for him to pick up. He couldn’t even look in his direction right now. “Thank you so much for saving us.”</p>
<p>“You better get out of here, it’s really late,” Nancy said with a frown. “And I’m gonna have a talk with the gym teacher about locking this door when there are still students around. He’s an idiot.”</p>
<p>“I hear ya,” Donghyuck said with a forced polite smile. “We’ll get out of your hair. Thanks again, Nancy!”</p>
<p>He beelined towards his things, kicking his shoes off and ripping off his knee pads, hopping into his pants at light speed and shoving everything into his bag.</p>
<p>“Donghyuck—“</p>
<p>“You should get your stuff,” Donghyuck said quietly, his hands shaking as he pulled the zipper of his bag shut. He shoved his feet into his outdoor sneakers, jamming down the backs in a rush to get out.</p>
<p>“Yeah, okay, but—“</p>
<p>“Mark, please I—“ Donghyuck squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m sorry, I really am, but I just need—I just need some space and. And some time. I—I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Mark’s eyes softened with concern, and Donghyuck couldn’t handle it anymore. “Do you -- are you okay to get home? I could drive you.”</p>
<p>Donghyuck shook his head, taking a few steps back. He pulled his bag over his shoulder, wanting nothing more than to run. He was usually the one who kept his cool, between him and Renjun, but he was panicking. Mark stepped closer as if he was going to touch Donghyuck’s arm, but he jerked away, heart pounding.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, please don’t touch me, I’m so sorry,” Donghyuck said, almost tripping over his own feet.</p>
<p>“Okay, I won’t touch you,” Mark said, clearly trying his best to be soothing as he held his hands up. “I’m just worried. Are you sure you’ll be able to get home okay? I can, like, call you a cab or something.”</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine,” Donghyuck insisted. “Thanks, though. I know…I know this isn’t fair to you but I just--”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it, seriously. Take all the time you need. Get home safe, okay?”</p>
<p>“Bye, Mark,” was all Donghyuck could manage in reply before he was tearing out of the gymnasium like his life depended on it.</p>
<p>He let his muscle memory take over as he ran, his bag pounding against his side and the buildings and street lights blurring as he sprinted away from the school, away from Mark, away from his feelings. He was always running away from his problems; facing them head on was just too exhausting.</p>
<p>Guilt burned hotter than the muscles in his legs, and the feeling of shame overtook the stabbing sensation in his side as he continued to run. Renjun’s face flashed in his mind, then Mark’s face, open and vulnerable in the dim light of his flashlight. He felt like he was going to throw up.</p>
<p>He made it all the way to his apartment before he collapsed against the door, unable to move. The cold from the tiles seeped into his pants. He wiped at his eyes with his sleeve even though there were no tears, and he realized he was still wearing Mark’s hoodie.</p>
<p>Curling up into a ball, he picked up his phone and dialed Renjun.</p>
<p>“No, Mom, I’m not going to! Donghyuck is calling me, one sec — hello?” Was what greeted him when Renjun picked up.</p>
<p>“Renjun,” he said thickly.</p>
<p>“Donghyuck?” Renjun’s voice changed from happy to worried. He was able to tell that Donghyuck wasn’t feeling right just from the tone of his voice. <em>I don’t deserve him, </em>Donghyuck thought, feeling hollow. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>🏐</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s going on?” Sicheng whispered.</p>
<p>“Shh,” Renjun said to him, then put his phone against his ear again. “Donghyuck, sweetie, why are you sorry?”</p>
<p>“I can’t tell you,” came Donghyuck’s reply. “You’ll hate me.”</p>
<p>“I could never hate you,” Renjun replied, shifting in the backseat and trying not to elbow his cousin as he brought his hand up to chew on his nails. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”</p>
<p>“I <em>can’t, </em>Renjun.” His heart ached at the sorrow in Donghyuck’s voice, evident even through his tinny speakers. What could have made his Donghyuckie so sad?</p>
<p>“Okay, that’s fine. You don’t need to tell me yet. But you’re gonna have to tell me eventually, Hyuck, or I won’t be able to do anything about it.”</p>
<p>Donghyuck made a sad, pitiful noise, like a kitten that lost its mother. Sicheng made a bunch of hand signals that Renjun couldn’t interpret, and he facepalmed lightly. His cousin was an idiot. Never mind that he was in one of the top universities in the country.</p>
<p>“What do you need me to do? You want me to come over? I can be there in, like, twenty minutes. Just say the word.”</p>
<p>“N-no, you’re spending time with your cousin, I don’t…I don’t want to interrupt anything.”</p>
<p>“Sicheng can wait, he’s not going anywhere for the next week.” Sicheng nodded eagerly. Renjun rolled his eyes. “You can’t see him but he’s nodding.”</p>
<p>“Am I on speaker?”</p>
<p>“Nope, he’s just being annoying and eavesdropping.” Sicheng scowled and kicked him in the ankle. Renjun yelped and pinched his side. One glare from his mom in the passenger seat had them both settling down. “I’m serious, Hyuck, nobody will care if I dip. I want to make you feel better.”</p>
<p>“Renjun…”</p>
<p>“I’m gonna come over, okay?” Renjun said, sensing that Donghyuck wasn’t in the right mindset for making decisions. “I’ll be there soon.”</p>
<p>“...Okay,” Donghyuck replied after a moment, and it killed Renjun to hear the tremble in his voice. He hung up and pocketed his phone, leaning over to poke his head in between his parents.</p>
<p>“Can I be dropped off at Donghyuck’s? It’s an emergency.”</p>
<p>“Is he okay?” Renjun’s dad asked, looking concerned.</p>
<p>“He’s not hurt.” Physically, at least. “But he sounded like he was crying, and he <em>never </em>cries, so I just want to check on him. Please?” He gave his parents puppy dog eyes, knowing he would immediately get his way.</p>
<p>“Of course,” his mother answered. “Why don’t we get him dinner? Lord knows the poor boy doesn’t eat enough.”</p>
<p>Donghyuck’s diet was a known secret. The elephant in the room, so to speak. They never talked about how much it worried them when Donghyuck came to school and he looked gaunt, his cheekbones too prominent. Before he met Renjun, his ribs had been visible through his skin. Renjun brought him food as often as possible, claiming that his mother had made too much, and took him out for dates whenever he could. Donghyuck’s brother did his best to clothe them and put a roof over their head, but he had dropped out of university in order to care for Donghyuck, and could only manage two minimum wage jobs.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. Sorry, Sicheng, I’ll make it up to you.”</p>
<p>Sicheng just grunted, distracted by a game he was playing on his phone. Renjun smiled to himself -- his cousin was one of the most understanding people he knew. Even though they hadn’t seen each other in months, he didn’t care that Renjun was about to ditch him so soon after picking him up from the airport. To be fair, he was probably gaming with his own boyfriend, and they were probably going to FaceTime as soon as they got back to the house.</p>
<p>They stopped at a restaurant on the way, and Renjun grabbed soup and salads for the both of them. Donghyuck always felt nauseous when he was stressed, and wouldn’t be able to stomach anything heavy. He also bought some bagels from the bakery next door -- they weren’t the freshest but at least Donghyuck would have something to eat in the morning.</p>
<p>“I’m probably going to stay the night,” Renjun told his parents.</p>
<p>“It’s a school night,” his mother said with a frown once they got back in the car.</p>
<p>“I know, we won’t stay up late. I have clothes at his place and I still have my backpack on me, so I’ll be fine to go to school tomorrow. I promise I’ll get all my homework done,” Renjun said, crossing his fingers. “Please, Mom, I think he needs me.”</p>
<p>His mother sighed. “Okay, but only because I like him so much. And only if your dad is okay with it.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care,” his father said as soon as he got in the car, holding two bags of takeout. Renjun’s mom sighed; Renjun and his dad exchanged cheeky grins. They bickered the whole way to Donghyuck’s apartment, and Renjun hopped out of the car still laughing.</p>
<p>“Be careful,” his mother warned him. Donghyuck didn’t exactly live in the safest neighborhood, but Renjun would be fine.</p>
<p>“I will. Bye, mama,” Renjun said with a wave, before turning on his heel and running into the building, punching in Donghyuck’s apartment code. Donghyuck didn’t say anything when the call connected, but he was immediately buzzed in. Renjun rushed into the elevator, tapping his foot impatiently as it traveled up to the tenth floor. It smelled like cat piss and cigarettes, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. After an alarming screech, the elevator lurched to a stop, and he hurried down the hall as soon as the door slid open, knocking softly on Donghyuck’s door. The last time he had come here, he had knocked too loudly, and one of Donghyuck’s neighbors came out to yell at him. He wasn’t making <em>that </em>mistake twice.</p>
<p>The door swung open to reveal Donghyuck, still in his clothes from school, and a hoodie that Renjun distinctly remembered Mark wearing earlier today. He decided not to comment on it as he entered the apartment, discarding his shoes at the door and placing the bag of food on a rickety table. Though the place was rundown, Donghyuck kept it spotless, and it smelled faintly of lemon detergent.</p>
<p>“Hi,” Renjun said, pulling Donghyuck in for a hug after studying his face. Donghyuck didn’t look like he had been crying, but his eyes were downcast, a storm brewing in his irises. He pulled Donghyuck’s face into his neck, nestling his chin in his fluffy hair. “Hi, I missed you.”</p>
<p>“It’s only been a couple hours.” Donghyuck’s voice was muffled, and his laughter was watery, but relief still washed over Renjun as he guided them to the beat up couch sitting in the middle of Donghyuck’s tiny apartment.</p>
<p>“I don’t like not seeing your pretty face,” Renjun teased as they curled up together. He pulled a knitted blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped Donghyuck in it, hugging him to his chest. Even though Donghyuck’s apartment was small and cramped, the furniture mismatched and the paint peeling off the walls, it was still comfortable. Donghyuck had done his best to make it feel like a home with what little he had, like pictures on the walls and comfy, handmade pillows piled on the couch.</p>
<p>“Renjun,” Donghyuck protested weakly, hiding his face in Renjun’s shirt. He said something else, but Renjun couldn’t make it out.</p>
<p>“What did you say? Speak up, sweetie, I’m getting old,” Renjun joked, and where Donghyuck would usually poke fun at Renjun and call him ancient, he didn’t even twitch. Renjun ran his hands along Donghyuck’s back, trying to comfort him without knowing what was wrong. “Donghyuckie?”</p>
<p>“I don’t deserve you,” Donghyuck mumbled, louder this time. Renjun’s heart stuttered, and he tightened his fingers in Donghyuck’s shirt.</p>
<p>“Why would you say something like that?” And despite trying his best, he couldn’t keep the tremble out of his voice. <em>Keep your cool, Renjun. </em>“Hyuckie, you know that’s not true.”</p>
<p>“Renjun, I…I’m so sorry.” Donghyuck looked up at him, and his eyes were glassy. Renjun cupped his cheeks just as the tears began to spill over. “I think…I think I might have feelings for someone else.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>🏀</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They won the game, but it was hard for Mark to feel happy over it.</p>
<p>He was too distracted to really focus. He relied on muscle memory for most of the game, but his heart just wasn’t in it. Despite him telling himself to concentrate, he just couldn’t help thinking back to Donghyuck’s words in the storage room. Today, there was no volleyball practice, so Mark hadn’t seen him. And they had an assembly during Food &amp; Nutrition, so he didn’t see Renjun either.</p>
<p>
  <em>I don’t hate you. I hate the way you make me feel. </em>
</p>
<p>“Mark? Can I talk to you?” Coach Zack put a hand on his arm, stopping him from entering the locker room. Mark looked at his other teammates and shrugged, following Coach Zack into the gym office and sitting down in a plastic chair when he was directed to. “Your head wasn’t in the game today.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Mark said automatically, wincing. He didn’t think it was that noticeable.</p>
<p>Coach Zack waved him off. “It was an easy win, and you didn’t play that badly or I would have taken you off. But our next opponent won’t be so easy to beat, so you better figure it out fast, or I’ll have to bench you.”</p>
<p>Mark nodded eagerly. “Of course. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.”</p>
<p>The coach’s face softened. “I’m not worried, Mark. You’re one of our best players. I know you know this, but if you need anyone to talk to, my door is always open. And you have my number, too, so don’t be afraid to text me.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Coach,” Mark said, flinching when Coach Zack slapped his shoulder in what was probably meant to be an encouraging pat. He jogged into the locker room, grabbing his things from his locker and walking over to the sink to wash his face. Luckily, the teammates that were still there mostly ignored him. He took his cleanser out of his bag, wanting to wash away the greasy sensation that clung to his skin. He had acne along his jaw and hairline, and he hated it.</p>
<p>“Hey,” one of his teammates, Anthony, appeared next to him. “What is that?”</p>
<p>“Cleanser,” Mark replied, bracing himself for a sexist and/or homophobic comment. But to his surprise, Anthony just nodded contemplatively, examining the tube that Mark had left on the sink.</p>
<p>“Can I try some?”</p>
<p>“Uh, sure.” Mark said, worried what would happen if he declined. He uncapped the tube and squirted some in Anthony’s hand, then his own. He rubbed his hands together to make it foam, and his teammate copied him. The whole thing felt surreal.</p>
<p>He decided to just ignore Anthony, washing his face carefully and massaging the cleanser into his skin the way his mom taught him. She had given him other products too, but he just left them in his bathroom, too lazy to keep up with an entire skin care routine. He slapped some moisturizer on before he went to bed, but that was the extent of his facial care.</p>
<p>He rinsed his face and patted it dry with his towel, then scrubbed the ends of his hair that had gotten wet in the process. When he pulled the towel away, he saw Anthony examining his face in the mirror, cleaned from the foam and still dripping wet.</p>
<p>“My face feels so clean,” Anthony said. “Does it help with spots and stuff?”</p>
<p>“I mean, it helps me,” Mark replied with a shrug. “You have to use it everyday.”</p>
<p>Anthony looked at it again. “Cool, I’ll buy some from the drugstore then. Thanks, Mike.”</p>
<p>Mark stared after him in shock as he walked away, not even bothering to correct him. This was one of the most positive interactions he’d ever had with Anthony that didn’t result in a disgusting comment. Maybe the universe was finally feeling bad for him.</p>
<p>He picked up his bag and left the locker room after pulling sweats on over his shorts. He never got changed in front of his teammates, tired of them making snide remarks about his penis size because he was Asian. For straight guys, they sure loved to talk about dick.</p>
<p>Mark exited the gym and nearly ran over Jisung, who was standing next to the door with a camera in his hands.</p>
<p>“Bye Jasper,” the girl next to him said, walking off after taking the camera out his hands. Jisung waved, though she couldn’t see it, and turned to Mark.</p>
<p>“Good game today!”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Mark replied. “What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I signed up to be on the yearbook team,” Jisung explained. wrinkling his nose cutely. “It’s kinda boring, but at least I get to take cool pictures.”</p>
<p>“That sounds dope,” Mark said honestly. “Plus your pictures will be memorialized in the yearbook forever, you know? Everyone will see them.”</p>
<p>Jisung lit up. “Oh, you’re right! I never thought about it like that. You think I can put my name under them? Photo credits, Jisung Park or something.”</p>
<p>“I bet you totally could,” Mark said with a smile. Jisung was really cute, and his childlike happiness was contagious. “You should talk to Mr. Greene about it, he would probably let you.”</p>
<p>“I will,” Jisung said, setting his jaw determinedly. “I’m gonna be famous.”</p>
<p>Mark sincerely doubted that putting his name in the yearbook would make him famous, but he kept that thought to himself. If Jisung thought that counted as fame, then it did. “Yes, you will. Do you take pictures of all the teams?”</p>
<p>“Yup,” Jisung said proudly. “I have some on my phone. Wanna see?”</p>
<p>Mark really wanted to go home and take a shower, but Jisung looked so hopeful that he didn’t dare say no. “Of course!”</p>
<p>Jisung beamed, showing off his gums as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened the camera roll. He showed Mark a few shots of the basketball team, and while some of them were blurry and unfocused, there were some great action shots, and even one of Mark in the middle of a layup (luckily it didn’t show his face, because the expressions he made in games were not pretty).</p>
<p>He kept his eyes on the phone as Jisung swiped through them, then he handed Mark his phone and told him to look through the rest while he drank water. Mark was amused by Jisung bending nearly in half to reach the water fountain, but his grin faded when he swiped to the next photo.</p>
<p>It was a picture of Renjun, close enough that Mark imagined Jisung was standing on the court when he took it. He was in the middle of a perfect receive, his eyes laser-focused on the ball. His bangs, damp with sweat, hung in his eyes. He looked… amazing. Mark swallowed harshly, his mouth suddenly feeling dry.</p>
<p>“That’s my favourite one!” Jisung said when he peeked over Mark’s shoulder. Mark nearly jumped out of his skin, but managed to pull himself together before Jisung noticed. “It was really hard to get a good shot.”</p>
<p>“It looks really good, Jisungie,” Mark said, half tempted to ask him to send it to him. Would that be creepy? It sounded creepy. “You’re a natural at this.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, hyung!” Jisung said happily, and Mark smiled despite himself. He had always resented being an only child, and Jisung felt a little like the younger brother he’d always wanted. “Are you going home now?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I really need a shower. I’ll see you tomorrow, Sung,” Mark said.</p>
<p>Jisung’s brows furrowed. “But, hyung, tomorrow is the weekend.”</p>
<p>Mark blinked. Was it really Friday already? That meant he wouldn’t see Donghyuck until Monday. As much as he wanted to give Donghyuck the time and space he needed “Oh, haha, then I’ll see you on Monday. Bye!”</p>
<p>“Bye, Mark!” He waved cutely with both hands, and Mark waved back before heading down the hall. He paused when he noticed his shoelace was undone and bent down to tie it again, double knotting it this time. When he straightened up again, he looked back to see Jisung still standing next to the gym doors.</p>
<p>“Aren’t you gonna head home?” Mark called.</p>
<p>Jisung startled, almost dropping his phone. Mark winced, smiling apologetically. “Oh, um, I live kind of far. I’m waiting to be picked up.”</p>
<p>Mark glanced at the clock in the hall. It was already nearing six thirty, and the custodians usually came around the gym by seven. As kind as they were, they didn’t like when students lingered in the school because it made their jobs harder. Mark’s mom has always taught him that most sanitation workers had jobs that were difficult enough, and it was important not to obstruct them from completing their work.</p>
<p>And besides, Jisung was still a kid. He probably hadn’t eaten yet, and he definitely had homework. He shouldn’t have to wait around in a school by himself for someone to pick him up.</p>
<p>“Hey, I live really close by, and I have a car at home. If you walk with me, I can drive you to your house,” Mark offered, and Jisung brightened immediately.</p>
<p>“Really?!” But then he deflated. “Ah, but it’s out of your way, I don’t want to inconvenience you…”</p>
<p>“It’s no problem,” Mark said with a shrug. “I don’t really like walking by myself, so I can drive you in exchange for your company.”</p>
<p>“How come you don’t drive to school, hyung?” Jisung asked, walking towards Mark.</p>
<p>“I don’t really drive places within walking distance. It’s better for the environment,” Mark explained. “But I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t help out a friend, so come on.”</p>
<p>“I can give you gas money or something,” Jisung offered, but Mark shook his head, guiding him out of the school with a hand hovering behind his back.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it, seriously. I just want to make sure you get home safe. Now let’s go before Nancy comes and yells at us for still being here.”</p>
<p>“Nancy?” Jisung asked, sounding confused as Mark ushered him out the side doors closest to his house.</p>
<p>“One of the custodians that cleans the gym,” Mark explained. “She’s the sweetest, but she hates when students loiter.”</p>
<p>“Oh, it probably makes her job harder,” Jisung said with a contemplative frown. “I didn’t even think about that.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, you didn’t know,” Mark assured him. “You can wait at the rec center, you know.”</p>
<p>The Heatherview Recreation Center was a brand new building erected next to the school. Mark had personally only been inside when they did water training at the pool, but he knew it was open late on weeknights.</p>
<p>“I used to, but the kids there are kinda mean,” Jisung said. “They made fun of me a lot.”</p>
<p>“Well they’re all immature as fuck,” Mark said. He wished he wasn’t a pacifist -- maybe he could go punch a kid or two in the face. “If you want I could drive you home everyday?”</p>
<p>Jisung shifted awkwardly. “Ah, well sometimes my parents aren’t home and I don’t have a key, so I don’t go home at the same time everyday.” Mark wanted to ask why his parents wouldn’t just give him a key, or why they would stay out if they knew he wouldn’t be able to get into the house, but he knew it wasn’t any of his business, and he didn’t want to pry.</p>
<p>“Um, I know we aren’t really close, but like. If you want you could wait at my house instead of waiting at the school. It’s not too far and you can give my address to your parents. They can even meet my mom or something.”</p>
<p>Jisung laughed. “I don’t think that much is necessary, but it would be awesome if I could stay at yours. I promise I’ll stay out of your way.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s totally cool. I like the company, and you can repay me by taste testing my recipes,” Mark suggested, putting a hand on Jisung’s elbow to prevent him from crossing at the red light.</p>
<p>“Your recipes?”</p>
<p>“I’m in the Food and Nutrition class, my big project for this year is to make a cookbook,” Mark explained.</p>
<p>“Oh!” Jisung lit up in realization. “You mean like Renjun hyung?”</p>
<p>“Yeah! We’re partners, actually. Though really I’m more of his assistant than his partner. He’s a much better cook than I am,” Mark said. “Oh, just turn down this street here. My house is number sixty-three. White brick, yellow door. You can’t miss it!”</p>
<p>“Are you sure it’s really okay for me to come over sometimes?” Jisung asked, worrying at his lower lip. Mark paused from where he was digging into his bag for his car keys.</p>
<p>“Of course.<em> Mi casa es su casa,</em> or however it goes. My friend Yukhei crashes here all the time,” Mark explained, pulling open the door to the passenger seat.</p>
<p>“Yukhei Wong?” Jisung asked, cheeks bright red even in the dim glow casted by the streetlights.</p>
<p>
  <em>How interesting. </em>
</p>
<p>“Yup. He’s, like, my closest friend. And he says my house is comfier than his so that’s why he comes over. I’ve started keeping his favourite snacks in my cupboard just so I don’t have to listen to him whine about how hungry he is,” Mark rambled as he buckled in his seatbelt. “Okay, where to?”</p>
<p>“121 Rain Avenue,” Jisung said, eyes wide with curiosity as Mark keyed it into his GPS. “Whoa, what is that?”</p>
<p>“Oh, the car has a built-in GPS. I’m a little bit hopeless with directions, so I kind of need it. Otherwise I think I would get lost all the time,” Mark joked, pulling out of his driveway. He vaguely knew of the area surrounding Rain Avenue, but he rarely went to that part of town. “Is it easier to go down Richmond?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, my apartment is just on the end,” Jisung said softly. “Sorry for making you go out of your way.”</p>
<p>“I don’t mind,” Mark said cheerfully, slowing down at the next stop sign. “You live pretty far from Heather View, though. Why didn’t you go to CTK?”</p>
<p>Jisung sighed. “The kids who bullied me in middle school went to CTK.”</p>
<p>Mark grimaced. “Okay, that’s fair. HVHS isn’t <em>that </em>great, but at least they’ve begun cracking down on all the bullying.”</p>
<p>Jisung seemed to brighten at that. “Yeah! There are way less assholes at Heather View.”</p>
<p>He spent the rest of the ride rambling to Mark about how much he hated CTK’s mascot because it gave him nightmares. Mark had to admit the badger costume was creepy looking, and it always unnerved him when the mascot showed up at games. He had no idea what company created the CTK Badger, but they needed to stop making mascot costumes.</p>
<p>“Oh, is that Donghyuck hyung?” Jisung pressed against the window as Mark stopped in front of his apartment building. “It is!”</p>
<p>He popped open the door, scrambling to climb out, yelling Donghyuck’s name at the top of his lungs despite the quiet of the neighborhood. Mark pinched the bridge of his nose with an embarrassed sigh. He then immediately panicked when he realized Donghyuck was walking towards the car.</p>
<p>“Jisungie? Who are you with?”</p>
<p>“Mark hyung drove me home!” He couldn’t see Donghyuck’s expression, but he imagined it wasn’t good. “Thanks again, hyung, see you on Monday!”</p>
<p>Jisung slammed the door shut, giving Mark a sheepish smile when the entire car shook, waving goodbye. Mark shook his head fondly, and was about to pull away from the curb when he heard a tap on the window. He turned to see Donghyuck, miming for him to roll the window down, so he did. He shivered, unsure if it was from the rush of cold air or Donghyuck’s presence.</p>
<p>“Thanks for driving him home,” Donghyuck said softly. “I didn’t know his parents weren’t coming to get him, or else I would have stayed with him.”</p>
<p>“It wasn’t a problem, really,” Mark said, flushing when his voice came out strained. He honestly wasn’t expecting to see Donghyuck until Monday. “It sucks that there are no buses that come here.”</p>
<p>Donghyuck snorted. “It’s a low income residential neighborhood, away from all the main roads. I doubt there will be any time soon.”</p>
<p>“Right,” Mark said awkwardly. “Well, I better get going. I’ll see you…um, never mind.”</p>
<p>“Monday,” Donghyuck said firmly, to Mark’s surprise. “I’ll see you on Monday, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Mark replied, unable to keep the smile off of his face. “See you Monday.”</p>
<p>“Bye, Mark.” Donghyuck smiled back, and though it was small, it would be imprinted in Mark’s memory forever. Even after Donghyuck turned away, meeting Jisung on the walkway and entering their building together, Mark’s heart still raced in his chest, thinking of the way Donghyuck’s smile glittered under the streetlight. Just a simple flash of teeth had his pulse fluttering and his hands sweating, clenched around the steering wheel.</p>
<p>“Shit,” Mark whispered, pressing his forehead against his hands. <em>Shit. </em>He took a deep breath, and then another. Taking one last look at the building Donghyuck and Jisung had disappeared into, he drove away.</p>
<p>
  <em>I think I might like Donghyuck. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you for reading! see you next sunday &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Renjun and Donghyuck confess.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey there! welcome back to another chapter, or if you're new here, i hope you're enjoying the story so far! this chapter was a little longer than i intended but it all worked out in the end hehe ^^ i start classes soon but i'm hoping that i'll still be able to stick to weekly updates. i'm so very excited to bring the rest of this story to you guys!</p><p> thank you for all the lovely comments that i've gotten so far -- i apologize if i haven't gotten back to you yet!</p><p> CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER:<br/> mentions of harassment, minor injury, minor mentions of blood</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mark wiped at his forehead with the back of his hand, narrowing his eyes at the net as he dribbled the ball against the driveway. He was practicing his ball handling and his three-pointers, something he always did when he was stressed.</p><p>He had been out here for hours already, but his head didn’t feel any more clear. He pulled his shirt up to wipe at his face, dripping with sweat. It was an unusually hot day, the sun shining overhead as noon approached. He had left his house before sunrise.</p><p>Mark sighed, picking up the ball and walking over to the water bottle he had brought outside with him. Usually, basketball was the one thing he could use to clear the fog in his head, but his heart just wasn’t in it today. If he kept this up, he was going to be benched in the next game, and with the end of the season drawing near, he wasn’t about to let that happen.</p><p>But he couldn’t stop thinking about Yukhei’s words to him about Renjun (<em>“You gotta admit that you’re completely whipped for him”</em>) and the way his heart had pounded when Donghyuck had smiled at him last night. Up until now, though he was still in denial about it, he knew that he had a tiny, <em>minuscule </em>crush on Renjun. But to think that he might like Donghyuck, too?</p><p>Mark shook his head with a frustrated sigh, and went back to practicing his shots. There was no way he could have a crush on both of them. Maybe it was just because he was repressed and attention-starved, and Renjun and Donghyuck were the only people to have paid attention to him in the past week? But he could hardly call that paying attention — Yukhei flirted with him and snuggled him all the time, and he didn’t have a crush on him. Maybe it was just admiration. They were both amazing athletes. Maybe he was just horny.</p><p>“Ugh,” Mark said, then went inside.</p><p>He was feeling a little too Troy Bolton — a basketball player torn between two desires. But in reality he knew he couldn’t have either. They already had each other. But…</p><p>
  <em>I hate the way you make me feel.</em>
</p><p>Donghyuck had said that, did he not? It was hard for Mark to interpret his words in any way other than what he thought. That Donghyuck might like him. <em>Back, </em>his brain filled in automatically. <em>Donghyuck might like me back. </em></p><p>“I guess there’s no point denying it anymore,” Mark said aloud despite no one being around to hear him. “I like Donghyuck.”</p><p>But he liked Renjun, too. And Donghyuck was dating Renjun. And he highly doubted Renjun liked him in that way. He buried his face in his hands, his mind spinning in circles. It was all too complicated. Even if he and Donghyuck had mutual feelings for each other (and that was a big fat <em>if </em>— he still couldn’t be sure), what would that mean for him? For the both of them? Donghyuck was already in a relationship. He had no need for Mark. Maybe it would be best if he stayed away, so they both could get over their feelings. Donghyuck could be happy with Renjun and Mark—</p><p>Well. He didn’t want to think about it. He would be fine, once he got over his stupid crush. But he couldn’t help fantasizing just a little bit of what it would be like if both Renjun and Donghyuck liked him. He imagined the three of them going to the beach again, or going to get boba after practices, or them coming to his basketball games. It was nice to think about, but it served as a reminder that everything he wanted was just that — a fantasy.</p><p>It would be nice if they could all be friends, at least. He thought he was getting somewhere with Renjun, but he couldn’t forget the way Renjun avoided him after that day they filmed the dumpling recipe. And while Donghyuck had said that he didn't hate Mark, he had no idea what was going to become of them. He hated waiting, but at least he was going to get his answer on Monday.</p><p>He just had to survive until then.</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Donghyuck stepped out of Renjun’s bathroom clad in his softest set of pajamas, sheet mask applied to his face and butterfly clips in his hair. Renjun was already lying on his bed, his own sheet mask covering his skin as he held his phone above his face, watching an anime Donghyuck had never heard of. He put his phone away when Donghyuck sat next to him, though.</p><p>“All set, baby?” Donghyuck shivered at the pet name, flopping down so he was horizontal, staring up at the ceiling.</p><p>“Yeah,” Donghyuck sighed. They had just spent an hour in Renjun’s parents’ jacuzzi, and they had both gotten haircuts and massages earlier today as part of Renjun’s declared self care day. Renjun’s parents had treated them, and Donghyuck was grateful, because his bones felt like liquid and all the knots in his back were gone. “Damn, today was a good day.”</p><p>“It’s what you deserve,” Renjun said, patting at Donghyuck’s damp hair absentmindedly. “Ugh, I feel like I could sleep forever. I almost don’t wanna run tomorrow.”</p><p>“Renjun Huang skipping his morning run? Never thought I’d see the day,” Donghyuck teased.</p><p>“Shut up,” Renjun huffed. “You could join me, you know.”</p><p>“Hmm, I’ll pass.” Donghyuck stretched out on the bed, sinking into the comforter and pressing into Renjun’s side. “How much longer do we have to wear these masks?”</p><p>Renjun checked his phone. “I think, like, five more minutes.”</p><p>“Ugh,” Donghyuck said. “I’m bored already.”</p><p>“You’re so impatient,” Renjun said with a laugh. “I dunno how I put up with you.”</p><p>“You love me.” Donghyuck poked Renjun in the side to watch him squirm. “I’m the love of your life.”</p><p>“Unfortunately,” Renjun said with a dramatic sigh. “Hey, did you know our anniversary is coming up?”</p><p>“Really?” Donghyuck asked. “Oh, you’re right, October 24th. It’ll be two years, then.”</p><p>“Do you wanna do something special?” Renjun asked, playing with the hem of Donghyuck’s shirt. “We could have dinner. Watch a movie.”</p><p>“Sounds good,” Donghyuck breathed. “Can we take off these masks so I can kiss you now?”</p><p>Renjun laughed. “Yeah, sure, let’s take them off.”</p><p>They didn’t end up kissing, because Renjun insisted that they try his set of jade facial rollers to massage their faces, and then Donghyuck got sleepy, so they brushed their teeth side by side and tried not to spit on each other.</p><p>Donghyuck curled into Renjun’s arms under the covers after they turned off the lights, the room illuminated solely by the cat shaped night light Renjun kept on his nightstand. Renjun had a nice weighted blanket that made Donghyuck feel safe and secure, and it would be easy for him to fall asleep, even if they had to leave the door open as instructed by Renjun’s parents.</p><p>“Hey,” he heard Renjun say just as his eyes drifted shut. “Donghyuck?”</p><p>“What?” Donghyuck asked, not bothering to open his eyes as he snuggled further into a pillow.</p><p>“I’m scared to talk to Mark.”</p><p><em>That </em>caught Donghyuck’s attention. He opened his eyes, propping himself up on one elbow to look at Renjun who was resolutely staring up at the ceiling. “You’re scared?”</p><p>“I mean, yeah. Aren’t you?” Renjun asked.</p><p>“What are you scared of?”</p><p>“Rejection, I guess.” Renjun finally rolled on his side to look at Donghyuck, though he could barely make out his features in the dark. “I think… I think I really like him.”</p><p>“Me too,” Donghyuck said quietly. “But I’m pretty sure he only likes you.”</p><p>“What? No way, what makes you say that?!” Renjun asked, and Donghyuck slapped at him to get him to lower his voice.</p><p>“He’s always staring at you!”</p><p>“He’s always staring at <em>you!”</em></p><p>“You’re both idiots,” came Sicheng’s voice from the doorway, startling them both so badly they knocked their foreheads together. “If Renjun says he stares at you, Hyuck, and Donghyuck says he stares at you, Jun, then he stares at <em>both </em>of you. Now will you keep it down?”</p><p>“Sorry,” Donghyuck and Renjun chorused. It was too dark to see, but Donghyuck could picture Sicheng rolling his eyes as his footsteps receded down the hall.</p><p>“Does he really stare at me too?” Donghyuck asked, voice coming out quieter than he intended.</p><p>“<em>Yes</em>,” Renjun said, sounding exasperated. “Especially during practice.”</p><p>“Oh.” Donghyuck’s cheeks pinked. He barely paid attention to anything off the court during practice. “I never noticed.”</p><p>“That’s because you’re oblivious,” Renjun teased, rolling on top of Donghyuck and pinning him to the mattress.</p><p>“You’re one to talk,” Donghyuck huffed. Renjun giggled and bent down to give him a slow, languid kiss, straddling his hips. Donghyuck immediately reciprocated, sliding one hand behind Renjun’s neck and pulling him down to kiss him deeply.</p><p>Kissing Renjun was as familiar to him as the back of his hand. He cheekily called it his favourite pastime to Renjun’s face, but really he couldn’t deny just how much he loved it. He couldn’t get enough.</p><p>“You’re so gorgeous,” Renjun murmured, and Donghyuck flushed. Renjun was always tossing out compliments like that. “How could Mark not like you? How could <em>anyone </em>not like you?”</p><p>“Renjun,” Donghyuck whined, gasping when Renjun slid his hands up his shirt. His fingers were blessedly cool against his heated skin.</p><p>“My baby’s a fucking centerfold,” Renjun continued. “You’re so beautiful. I’m obsessed with you. Couldn’t even be mad whenever I caught Mark staring. How could I blame him?”</p><p>“Oh my god.” Donghyuck tried to cover his flaming face with his hands, but Renjun pinned his wrists down.</p><p>“He’s pretty too, isn’t he?” Renjun asked casually. “I couldn’t be mad when you stared, either, because I would stare too. He just has this way of pulling you in.”</p><p>“He does,” Donghyuck agreed, thinking of how Mark looked that day at the beach, with his hair tousled and Donghyuck’s practice jersey fitting tight around his shoulders. How pretty he had looked, perched on that rock, glowing in the sun.</p><p>“And he’s so eager to please,” Renjun said, voice low and soft, sending shivers down Donghyuck’s spine. “Couldn’t imagine a better manager. He’d be so good to you.”</p><p>“Jun,” Donghyuck protested weakly.</p><p>“Think he’d want to date the both of us? Imagine what that would be like. Imagine holding his hand, or kissing him.”</p><p>And Donghyuck had never thought about kissing Mark before, but now he couldn’t <em>stop </em>thinking about it. He imagined pulling his hair, and kissing those petal pink lips, and gave a full body shudder, heat coiling in his gut.</p><p>“Renjun,” Donghyuck groaned. “T-too much.”</p><p>Renjun immediately rolled off of him, running a soothing hand down his side and peppering his face in kisses. Donghyuck basked in the attention, eagerly answering every one of Renjun’s kisses with one of his own.</p><p>“Sorry, baby,” Renjun said, patting his hip. “You good?”</p><p>“Yes,” Donghyuck sighed. “So good.”</p><p>“You wanna sleep now?”</p><p>“Mhm,” Donghyuck mumbled, eyes falling shut. He pulled Renjun close and threw a leg over his hip, trapping him against his front. He heard Renjun laugh softly, then felt him pull up the blanket until it covered them both. “I’m tired. Can’t wait for Monday.”</p><p>More laughter. A ghost of a kiss brushed against his collarbone. “Me neither. Goodnight, Donghyuckie.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Renjun.”</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You and Donghyuck have really matured since the last time I saw you.”</p><p>Sicheng walked into Renjun’s room without knocking, barging in as he always did. Renjun and his dad had just dropped Donghyuck off at his apartment, and he was currently working on finishing the last of his homework in preparation for tomorrow’s classes.</p><p>“You think so?” Renjun asked, rummaging in his desk for a ruler to finish his graph. “I feel like we’re kinda the same.”</p><p>“I overheard your conversation about the kid you both like. The fact that you both are so open and willing to communicate your needs and insecurities is really impressive. Honestly, even the guys my age struggle to do that.” Sicheng showed no signs of being apologetic at having eavesdropped on their conversation.</p><p>Renjun frowned. “Talking with Donghyuck is easy. Why would I want to be anything else but honest with him?”</p><p>Sicheng chuckled, pinching at Renjun’s ear until he batted him away. “Our Renjunnie, so wise for his age.”</p><p>“Shut up,” Renjun grumbled, but he was secretly pleased with the compliment. “You don’t think it’s weird for us to be in a relationship but have a crush on someone else?”</p><p>Sicheng shook his head. “Nah, polyamory isn’t a new concept to me. You know my boyfriend has another boyfriend, right?”</p><p>“What? Kun has another boyfriend?” This was news to Renjun.</p><p>“Yup, his name’s Ten. Or, his nickname is Ten. I’ve met him a couple times before. He’s really nice. Kinda short though.”</p><p>“But don’t you get jealous?”</p><p>Sicheng hummed contemplatively. “Well, jealousy is human nature. Sometimes I feel a little jealous. But it’s okay to feel negative emotions as long as your actions are positive and you’re able to negate them. I’m confident Kun has enough room in his heart for the both of us, and I’ve never felt neglected or like he loves me less. I’ve never felt second to Ten.”</p><p>“Huh,” Renjun said, abandoning his graph. “So, like, how do you work through your problems, then?”</p><p>“Same as anyone else,” Sicheng replied, and upon Renjun’s confused look, said, “we <em>talk, </em>Renjun. That’s the only way to have a healthy relationship. By communicating.”</p><p>“Aren’t you ever, like, scared to talk about how you feel?”</p><p>Sicheng shook his head. “Kun is easy to talk to, too. I’m not gonna lie and say everything is perfect all the time, but we work through our problems and do our best to prevent them from happening again.”</p><p>“I wanna be like you,” Renjun said.</p><p>He received a smile and a pat on the head in return. “You’re already way better than me, kiddo. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”</p><p>He left Renjun to do his homework, but Renjun’s mind was racing a mile a minute. He quickly finished the last of his lab report before opening his laptop and navigating to Google.</p><p>
  <em>How to have a successful poly relationship. </em>
  <strong>1,344,399 results. </strong>
</p><p>He clicked on the first website that didn’t look like a BuzzFeed article, and settled down in his chair to read.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t keep score.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your needs have nothing directly to do with your other partner’s needs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Don’t let problems fester.</em>
</p><p>He paid particular attention to the section about joining a pre existing relationship. He needed to know what it would be like for Mark, and what they would need to do if he accepted their feelings.</p><p>
  <em>If you are considering joining a person who is already in a relationship, take a good look at that relationship. Is it in good shape? Do the people involved have good problem-solving skills? How good is their communication? If the relationship has problems, how will they affect you? Will you be the person who suddenly becomes expendable if the problems in the relationship become too great?</em>
</p><p>He would have second guessed his relationship with Donghyuck if it wasn’t for Sicheng’s words earlier. He was sure they had some problems, that there were things they weren’t saying or things they should be saying, but their actual arguments were few and far in between. He was willing to put in the effort to make a relationship with Mark work.</p><p><em>If he even wants one, </em>Renjun told himself firmly. He chewed at his lower lip, tapping his pencil against his desk. <em>If we both ask him, won’t he feel pressured? Maybe I should just let Donghyuck talk to him. No, that wouldn’t feel right, either. We both have to talk to him. </em></p><p>“God, I’m really nervous,” Renjun said aloud. “This is so shit, what the fuck?”</p><p>He didn’t remember feeling this nervous in the days leading up to his confession to Donghyuck, but he had been confident that Donghyuck liked him back. Mark, on the other hand, was a complete mystery. He had no idea if Mark liked him, or if he just liked Donghyuck, or if he was just being nice because that was the kind of person Mark Lee was. The kind who invited people he barely knew to dinner and paid for their meals. The kind who drove Jisung home because he didn’t want him walking alone in the dark. The kind who ran into the freezing water of the lake just because Donghyuck and Renjun wanted him to.</p><p>He groaned, getting up from his desk and heading downstairs for a cup of water in hopes of calming his nerves. Worst case scenario, Mark rejected them and they moved on with their lives. Why was he so anxious?</p><p>
  <em>Because you don’t want him to say no. </em>
</p><p>“Shut up,” he told his brain.</p><p>“That’s cold, Renjunnie.” He whirled around to see Sicheng sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal. <em>Renjun’s </em>cereal. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“I’m fine,” Renjun said immediately. Then, “I guess I’m just nervous.”</p><p>“You’ll be fine,” was all Sicheng said before turning back to his cereal, but somehow it was enough to calm Renjun’s nerves. Even though he was over his idol worship phase of his older cousin, he still trusted Sicheng to never steer him wrong, and so far he hadn’t.</p><p>So if Sicheng said he would be fine, then Renjun believed him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mark sat on the wooden bench in the school’s courtyard, a tiny square in the middle of the school that was overrun with plants and flowers. Once winter passed, Mark would sign up for the courtyard maintenance team, but for now, it was mostly left alone. Renjun had asked him to wait there, during Food and Nutrition class, and Mark had been jittery with nerves ever since.</p><p>He fantasized about what would happen, imagining Donghyuck and Renjun standing him up. Maybe they were in one of the surrounding classrooms, watching him from the window and laughing at him. He didn’t think they would actually do that, because they weren’t cruel people, but he couldn’t stop his brain from conjuring up the mental images.</p><p>He flexed his fingers restlessly, looking around to find a distraction and ending up watching two birds singing to each other in a tree. He was so caught up, he didn’t notice anyone else until he heard a twig snap, and he turned to find Renjun and Donghyuck standing there.</p><p>“Hi,” Donghyuck said after a moment. “Mind if we sit?”</p><p>“No, not at all,” Mark said, shaking his head. They sat down across from him, unreadable expressions on their faces. He brought his hand to his mouth without thinking, but put it down before he could chew on his nails. Best not to bring back bad habits. “Um—“</p><p>“Okay—“</p><p>“So—“</p><p>They all clamped their mouths shut, looking at each other for a split second before bursting into laughter. Mark felt his nerves disappear, and once he calmed down, he found he wasn’t so anxious.</p><p>“I’ll start?” Donghyuck suggested, taking charge. Mark and Renjun nodded. “Okay, so, I’m just gonna come out and say it, no bullshit.”</p><p>He turned to Mark with a determined look in his eyes, and Mark felt his breath catch in his throat. Donghyuck was looking at him the same way he looked when he played a match in volleyball. The look that said <em>I’m going to give it my all, and I am going to win. </em>It was an expression he both feared and admired ever since the first time he witnessed it.</p><p>“Mark, we like you. As in, we have feelings for you. As in, we want to date you.”</p><p>Mark froze.</p><p>“...Mark?”</p><p>“Mark, are you… are you okay? You’re not breathing…”</p><p>“Sorry!” Mark squeaked, half-breathless. He really <em>hadn’t </em>been breathing. “Um, me? Are you sure?”</p><p>“Um…”</p><p>“I mean, it’s just—“ Mark took a deep breath. “You like me back? Both of you?”</p><p>They nodded.</p><p>“I think I’m gonna pass out,” Mark said faintly. The courtyard blurred around him, and he could distantly feel hands holding him upright, preventing him from falling off the bench.</p><p>“Do you want us to leave you alone?” Renjun’s voice cut through the fog, and Mark finally managed to focus. His pretty eyes were wide with concern. “Just say the word and we’ll go.”</p><p>“No!” Mark blurted out, so loud that Renjun flinched back. “No, um, I—I like you too? Both of you. I just…don’t know how to—“</p><p>“One date,” Donghyuck cut in. “Let us take you on one date. A trial run, basically.”</p><p>Mark managed a nod. “Okay. A date — that sounds good.”</p><p>The smile that lit up Donghyuck’s face was breathtaking. Mark blinked in the full force of it, star struck. Renjun still looked concerned.</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>He managed another nod. “Yeah, I—I want to. I’m just nervous.”</p><p>Donghyuck laughed, but it didn’t sound mocking. “Do we make you nervous, Mark Lee?”</p><p>“Yes,” Mark said honestly. “Really nervous.”</p><p>“You make us nervous, too,” Renjun said, placing a gentle hand on Mark’s knee. Mark stared at the birthmark on the back of his hand, the tips of his ears burning. <em>He</em> made <em>them </em>nervous? “We have to go, but will you be okay on your own?”</p><p>“I’ll be fine,” Mark choked out, his entire face heating up. He had nearly <em>fainted, </em>just from them saying they liked him. <em>Oh my god, they like me back. </em></p><p>“Will you text me when you get home?” Mark nodded. “Promise?”</p><p>“I promise.”</p><p>“Okay.” Renjun gave him a sweet smile and stood up. He didn’t seem to care about the dirt staining his pants from kneeling in front of the bench. “See you tomorrow, Mark.”</p><p>Mark didn’t take his gaze off his shoes, so he didn’t see what was coming. Soft lips pressed to the apple of his cheek, the scent of cocoa butter filling his nose, and a gentle hand cupping his jaw.</p><p>“Bye, Mark,” Donghyuck whispered in the same honey sweet tone he had used Friday night.</p><p>It took a few seconds for Mark to be able to move, and by the time he could blink, Donghyuck was already gone. He touched the spot that Donghyuck kissed with his fingertips.</p><p>“Oh my god,” he whined, high pitched in the back of his throat. “Did that really happen? I’m gonna die. They’re going to kill me.”</p><p>It took him another ten minutes to gather the strength to stand.</p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Mark woke up, he was stretched over Yukhei’s lap while his best friend used his back as a writing desk, tapping away on his laptop. Mark yawned so wide his jaw cracked, shifting on Yukhei’s thighs. There was a pause, and the weight on his back slid away.</p><p>“Good morning,” Yukhei said, the teasing lilt in his voice enough to make Mark blush. He sat up, feeling sleepy and slow. The sun was already setting, evident by the orange light being casted through the windows.</p><p>“How long was I out?” Mark rasped, grimacing and clearing his throat.</p><p>“Like an hour at most. I didn’t bother waking you up, you looked like you could use the rest.” Yukhei waved a hand dismissively.</p><p>“Ugh, I was stressed all weekend,” Mark groaned, stretching until his spine popped. “I had no idea what was going to happen today. I honestly feel like it was all a dream.”</p><p>“You often dream about cute volleyball players confessing to you?”</p><p>“Shut up,” Mark said, punching Yukhei in the shoulder. “Who invited you anyway?”</p><p>“You did! You literally called me to help you with your gay crisis. In return, you can help me with my Chemistry,” Yukhei said, thrusting his textbook at Mark and pointing at a problem. Mark sighed and settled back into the couch, taking the textbook from Yukhei’s hands.</p><p>“I have no idea what to expect,” Mark said in between explaining questions thirteen and fourteen. He had texted Renjun earlier, a short “<em>got home safe!” </em>that had yet to be answered.</p><p>“They seem very sweet. And it’s obvious they like you a lot. You should just go for it,” Yukhei said, patting Mark’s shoulder reassuringly. “What could go wrong?”</p><p>“A lot of things,” Mark complained. “Aren’t poly relationships harder when two were in a preexisting relationship? What if I feel like an outsider?”</p><p>Yukhei shrugged. “Well, sure they’ve been dating each other, but they haven’t dated <em>you, </em>so in a way this relationship will be new to them, too. I know it’s scary, but the beginning probably won’t be easy going. You just have to decide if it’s worth it to keep fighting, after.”</p><p>While Yukhei was academically one of the smartest people Mark knew, he sometimes forgot that he was also wise beyond his years. He rarely asked Yukhei for advice, but maybe he should start if it meant having someone help him cut through all the bullshit in his head.</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right,” Mark finally said, just as Yukhei scribbled out the final answer to his problem and slammed his textbook shut.</p><p>“Perfect,” he said with a bright grin. “Let’s move on to the fun stuff, then. Where do you think you’re gonna for your date?”</p><p>“I dunno,” Mark said honestly. “I’ve only spent time with them outside of school, like, once. I have no idea what they like and dislike or their favourite spots in town.”</p><p>“The good thing about dates is that you’ll be able to learn all of this. Ooh, what if they take you somewhere fancy? You feeling steak or lobster, Markie?”</p><p>Mark’s stomach lurched. “Oh, I hope we don’t go anywhere fancy. I’m not good at dressing up.”</p><p>Yukhei sighed. “Maybe if you didn’t live in basketball shorts and sweatpants. I miss when you wore polos. And sweater vests. Bring back the sweater vests!”</p><p>“No,” Mark said, shaking his head vehemently. “Those sucked, I can’t believe you want me to suffer again.”</p><p>“But you were so cute,” Yukhei whined. “I bet Renjun and Donghyuck would like the sweater vests.”</p><p>Mark scowled. “If you show them any of my old pictures, I will shave your head while you sleep.”</p><p>“No!” Yukhei yelped, covering his hair with his hands. “My head’s shaped weird, I won’t look good bald!”</p><p>“Then I guess we have an agreement,” Mark replied. “Do you wanna order food or should I make something?”</p><p>“It still blows my mind that you know how to cook now,” Yukhei said, picking his laptop up again. “But I kinda want Popeyes.”</p><p>“Popeyes it is,” Mark said, grabbing his phone to place the order. “I should really be sticking to my diet.”</p><p>Yukhei snorted. “Come <em>on, </em>surely you don’t think any of the losers on your team follow the coach’s diet plan. Half of them probably don’t even know how to spell the word ‘vegetable’. You’re, like, the only one who puts in the effort to be a proper athlete.”</p><p>Mark sighed, dropping against the back of the couch. “Yeah, well, let’s hope that effort results in winning the championships. And that I get noticed by scouts. I mean, I know I could get into some decent schools with just my grades alone, but…I want to make my mom proud.”</p><p>Yukhei placed his hand on Mark’s shoulder, looking serious in a way he usually wasn’t. “You know your mom’s already proud of you, right?”</p><p><em>We barely see each other. She doesn’t really know me enough to be proud of me. </em>Mark tried to clamp down on that train of thought before it could spiral any further. He didn’t doubt that his mother loved him, and he knew that he was trying her best given their circumstances. But he was a kid who grew up way too fast in order to fill the void that his father had left behind, and sometimes he wished his mother was around to see it. He wondered if he was too average for her. Overseas, she met with millionaires, or maybe even <em>billionaires, </em>who probably had gifted, talented kids. He was just a kid who played basketball and was good at science. He didn’t really have anything else going for him.</p><p>Sometimes, it scared him that his mother didn’t have expectations for him. That, in the grand scheme of things, none of his achievements really mattered. Or maybe he was just too hard on himself.</p><p>“Yeah,” Mark said, shaking his head a little to clear his head. There was no point in dwelling on his insecurities. He just had to keep doing his best, and hope that was enough for both his mom and himself. “I know.”</p><p>He’d feel bad if he tried to bring it up with Yukhei, who maybe had the burden of the whole world placed on his shoulders by his parents. He didn’t know how to explain that <em>no </em>expectations were just as scary as high expectations. That, in some ways, it felt like his mother had given up on him. In comparison to what Yukhei was dealing with, it was nothing. So, he wouldn’t say anything. He <em>couldn’t </em>say anything.</p><p>His phone chimed with a notification that the Uber driver was there with their food. Both Mark and Yukhei looked at it, then each other.</p><p>“Nose goes,” Mark said, and placed his finger on the tip of his nose. Yukhei grumbled to himself as he got up, but he went out onto the porch to wait for the food, so Mark counted it as a win. He was about to get a head start on his paper for English when his phone lit up with another notification.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>from: renjun</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>glad you made it home okay ^^</em>
</p><p>
  <em>sorry we had to leave so quickly, my cousin goes back to school tomorrow. we wanted to spend some time with him before he left</em>
</p><p>
  <em>how are you doing? with u know</em>
</p><p>
  <em>everything</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>to: renjun</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>dw about it!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>hope you had a good time</em>
</p><p>
  <em>and i’m doing okay. still in shock i think</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>from: renjun</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>this might sound surprising but</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i am too</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i was so convinced you would say no</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>to: renjun</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>i’m going to be honest</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i have absolutely no idea what i’m doing here</em>
</p><p>
  <em>i’ve only been in one short-lived relationship</em>
</p><p>
  <em>and never in a poly one</em>
</p><p>
  <em>but i would never</em>
</p><p>
  <em>not in a million years</em>
</p><p>
  <em>say no to you</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>from: renjun</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>good to know</em>
</p><p>
  <em>so about that date</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, God,” Mark said aloud.</p><p>“What?” Yukhei asked, wandering inside with a huge plastic bag in his hand. The smell of chicken immediately flooded Mark’s nose, and he made grabby hands for the food. Yukhei plopped the bag on the table and immediately began unpacking it.</p><p>“Renjun texted me,” Mark said, watching the typing bubble anxiously. “He’s going to say something about the date.”</p><p>“Let me see,” Yukhei said, crowding eagerly into Mark’s side. Mark tilted the screen to make sure Yukhei had a clear view just as Renjun sent the text.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>from: renjun</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>we were thinking of taking you out this saturday. the whole day. nothing fancy but both donghyuck and i planned some things together. you don’t have to do all of it, but it would be nice to spend the day with you. think of it as multiple dates crammed into one, or the Ultimate Date as donghyuck calls it. if you don’t want to, or you want to do something shorter, or if you’re busy, feel free to say no ^^ really, no pressure. we want you to be comfortable.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“He’s so sweet,” Yukhei cooed. “But he talks a lot.”</p><p>Mark snorted. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”</p><p>“What are you going to say?” Yukhei handed Mark a box of tenders and his dipping sauce of choice. “I think you should say yes. It could be interesting.”</p><p>“A date that lasts the whole day,” Mark said, humming contemplatively. “You know what? I think I’ll go for it. I mean, if I end up not… wanting this, then at least I’ll only have wasted one day.”</p><p>“They better treat you right,” Yukhei sniffed, then proceeded to steal half of Mark’s fries.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, baby.”</p><p>Donghyuck felt arms wrap around his waist, and he tilted his head back to rest on Renjun’s shoulder, getting a clear view of his soft brown hair and the dangly silver earring in his left ear.</p><p>“Morning,” Donghyuck said, still sleepy. “How are you doing today?”</p><p>“Great, now that I’m with you.” Somehow, the words don’t sound greasy or cheesy when they come out of Renjun’s mouth. They just sound honest, and it warmed Donghyuck from the inside. “Did you sleep okay?”</p><p>Donghyuck thought about lying, but decided against it, realizing Renjun would see right through it. “Nah, but I’ll be fine. I gotta go home early, anyway.”</p><p>He felt more than saw Renjun grimace. “Your brother?”</p><p>Donghyuck nodded. Occasionally, Donghyun would ask that they sit together for a “family meal”, though with just the two of them they were hardly a family. This event occurred once every couple of months — other than that, he barely saw Donghyun. His brother crashed at a friend’s place that was closer to his work, and rarely came home for more than a few hours. Enough time to stock the fridge, if he remembered, and leave some money in an envelope for Donghyuck.</p><p>Donghyuck couldn’t really complain, because Donghyun put food on the table and a roof over his head, but he rarely spent time in the apartment alone. It was lonely, and there were too many ghosts. Renjun must have sensed them too, the first time he came over, and told his parents, because Donghyuck slept over at his boyfriend’s more often than not.</p><p>Today, though, he would have to go home and cook dinner for his brother, and sit at the cluttered kitchen table in an awkward silence because neither of them knew what to say to each other. They were practically strangers, after all.</p><p>Donghyuck always felt guilty that Donghyun had given up his future and dreams after their parents died. He had dropped out of university in order to work full time and provide for them both. And though he didn't say it, Donghyuck could tell that his brother felt guilty too, for never being around. For leaving Donghyuck to practically raise himself.</p><p>He had been bitter, once. Before he met Renjun. But now? He understood that Donghyun was just trying his best. That he had compacted all of his grief and buried it deep down in order to continue functioning so Donghyuck would be able to go to school, and dress himself, and play volleyball. Sure, his brother wasn’t the most responsible, but at least Donghyuck didn’t have to work part time while trying to get high grades. At least he could play volleyball and go on dates with Renjun.</p><p>He wouldn’t be the strong, independent person he was today if he hadn’t spent the last few years the way he did, and he liked the person he had become.</p><p>“I hope you have a decent time,” Renjun said, kissing Donghyuck’s temple. “Tell him I say hello.”</p><p>“Sure,” Donghyuck replied easily. He was lucky that Donghyun and Renjun got along well enough, though Renjun had only met two or three times. “How much time do we have left before class starts?”</p><p>“Hm, about ten minutes,” Renjun said, finally pulling away from Donghyuck’s back. “I’m gonna miss you today.”</p><p>Donghyuck immediately turned to face him, barely holding back a laugh. “It’s gonna be one day. We can hang out tomorrow.”</p><p>“We have practice tomorrow,” Renjun reminded him.</p><p>Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “As if you don’t consider playing volleyball the ideal date.”</p><p>“You’re one to talk,” Renjun retorted. “You always want to play. Remember when we used to practice in the park?”</p><p>“Oh my god, yeah. That was awful. We should do it again, some time,” Donghyuck said cheekily, and received a pinch to his underarm for it.</p><p>“You’re ridiculous,” Renjun said, shaking his head.</p><p>“Only for you, baby,” Donghyuck replied, leading the way to their classroom. He held the door open for Renjun, then followed him to their usual table, unpacking his binder and laptop from his bag. He preferred using the digital version of the textbook, because he hated lugging around over-sized, heavy books in his bag. His posture was already bad enough.</p><p>“Do you have correction tape?” Renjun asked, and when Donghyuck looked over he was frowning at his notes. He dug into his pencil case and pulled out his correction tape, sliding it over to Renjun before opening his binder to last night’s worksheet.</p><p>The teacher swept in a moment later, looking harried as she dropped everything she was carrying onto her desk. “Oh! Good morning, Jun. Good morning, Donny.”</p><p>Donghyuck sighed at his English name, but she didn’t notice as she turned on the SmartBoard and queued up the next lesson.</p><p>“Good morning, Mrs. Bell,” Renjun said, because he was polite like that. “How are you today?”</p><p>Donghyuck turned out the conversation that followed, opening his binder and the slides for today’s lesson in order to copy the notes before class actually began. That way, he could pay more attention without having to write anything down. He took out a pad of sticky notes that he used for additional notes that weren’t on the slides, placing it on the table so Renjun could use them too.</p><p>“These are cute,” Renjun said, tapping on the memo pad. They were pale pink and decorated with tiny Hello Kitty prints around the border. Donghyuck had found them at the bargain store for twenty five cents a pack.</p><p>“I got them on sale!” Donghyuck said excitedly. “I also got ones with Kuromi, My Melody, Cinnamoroll, and Little Twin Stars.”</p><p>“A whole collection!” Renjun said, just as excitedly. “I ordered some cool washi tapes last night. And a bunch of stickers. You can have the ones I don’t want.”</p><p>“Gee, thanks,” Donghyuck said sarcastically, but he was secretly pleased. He knew that Renjun would say he didn’t want the ones Donghyuck liked, but Donghyuck would never accept them otherwise.</p><p>“I just love stationery,” Renjun sighed. Donghyuck eyed the Moomin pen in his hand and thought that was an understatement. Renjun was the type to collect tons of pretty stationery for his bullet journal — more than he would ever actually need. But it was endearing, and Donghyuck loved the way Renjun’s eyes lit up every time he bought a new pen or sticker set,</p><p>He finished copying the slides just as the bell rang and the last of the students filtered into the classroom. The teacher began the lesson, and he made sure to pay full attention, but he still pressed his foot to Renjun’s under the desk.</p><p>He couldn't hang out with Renjun tonight, but he could make the most of their time now.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mark stepped out of the convenience store with a bag of snacks in one hand and nearly bowled over Renjun, who had coincidentally been walking by. He was reminded of his first interaction with Renjun and Donghyuck, when they had dropped a popsicle on his shoes. He hadn’t even known their names.</p><p>They had come a long way since then.</p><p>“Oh, hi Mark,” Renjun said, waving a little. He was dressed in just a plain white hoodie and black skinny jeans, but he looked as nice as ever.</p><p>“Hi,” Mark replied, stepping away from the door and falling in step with Renjun. “You’re alone today?”</p><p>“Hyuck and I aren’t attached to the hip, you know,” Renjun said, but his lips curled up in a tiny smile.</p><p>“Um, you kinda are,” Mark retorted, “I don’t think I’ve seen you guys apart for longer than a day.”</p><p>“Yeah, we’re rarely apart for more than twenty four hours,” Renjun admitted. “But Donghyuck went home early today, so I’m by myself.”</p><p>“You’re not going home?” Mark frowned.</p><p>Renjun shook his head, then let out a slightly bitter laugh. “I’d rather not. I got a bad grade on a Calculus test today, and my parents are gonna rip me a new one when they see it.”</p><p>Mark frowned. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” He debated on asking what grade Renjun got, but he decided against it. He hated when people asked about his own grades, so he kept his mouth shut. “Do you…maybe wanna hang out, then?”</p><p>Renjun looked at him in slight disbelief, and Mark panicked, ready to take his words back when a huge, dazzling grin lit up Renjun’s face.</p><p>“Yeah, please? I don’t really want to be alone right now.”</p><p>Mark stopped on the sidewalk, and Renjun stopped with him, giving him a confused look. He wiped his sweaty palms on his thighs. Renjun always made him nervous.</p><p>“Do you, um, want a hug?”</p><p>Renjun’s bewildered expression quickly transformed into a cotton candy smile, sweet and soft like Renjun himself. “I could use a hug.”</p><p>Mark stepped closer, his hands hovering awkwardly as he tried to figure out where to go. Renjun made it easier by opening his arms and throwing them around his neck, and from there it was easy to wrap his arms around Renjun’s waist and hold him tight. His heart was racing, and he wondered if Renjun could feel it thundering in his chest.</p><p>For a brief moment, Renjun rested his head on Mark’s shoulder, the scent of lavender and honey emanating off his hair. Mark shuddered, stepping back before he could do something stupid like bury his nose in Renjun’s hair. When he looked up, Renjun’s eyes were sparkling.</p><p>“Thanks, Mark,” Renjun said softly, accompanied by the briefest touch to Mark’s arm. Goosebumps rose on his skin where Renjun’s hand made contact, and the tips of his ears burned.</p><p>“N-no problem,” Mark stuttered, clearing his throat and taking another step back, just to give himself some breathing room. “Where do you want to go?”</p><p>“Hmm, I have some homework I gotta do. We could find a cafe or something?” Renjun suggested.</p><p>“Do you maybe just want to, like, go to my house or something? I left my textbooks and stuff at home today.”</p><p>“Sounds good to me,” Renjun said, smiling prettily. <em>Lavender, honey, cotton candy, </em>Mark thought, and almost didn’t notice Renjun sticking his hand out in his peripheral vision.</p><p>He stared at it for a moment, unsure of what to do, and Renjun waved it a little, then sighed and grabbed Mark’s hand from where it was resting at his side, lacing their fingers together and pulling Mark closer until their arms brushed.</p><p>“Oh,” Mark said nervously.</p><p>Renjun laughed, but it didn’t sound mean or mocking. “Yeah, <em>oh. </em>Is it okay if I hold your hand?”</p><p>Mark, unable to speak, just nodded. Renjun laughed again, a musical tinkle like the song of a bird. Mark could listen to that laugh all day.</p><p>Renjun beamed, and started down the sidewalk towards Mark’s house. “Then let’s go!”</p><p>Mark, hopelessly enchanted, could do nothing but follow.</p><p> </p><p>They ended up in Mark’s room, with Mark at the desk and Renjun sprawled on the bed on his stomach, sketching away in his art book. Mark couldn’t handle the sight of Renjun in his bed, so he looked away after a few seconds, turning on his PC to do his homework for his Tech Design class.</p><p>Renjun was humming mindlessly as he drew, and Mark found it more relaxing than distracting. He had a pretty voice, high and soft and beautiful. He was tempted to ask Renjun to record one of his songs for him, but the thought of showing his lyrics to anyone was enough to make him feel queasy.</p><p>Surprisingly, he didn’t feel anxious. In fact, he felt oddly comfortable, just doing his homework in the same space as Renjun. He was even more productive with the sound of Renjun’s humming and his pencil scratching along the paper. It was like ASMR, but better, because ASMR just made him cringe most of the time.</p><p>He was… happy. At how easily Renjun slotted into his home life like he was meant to be there. First in the kitchen and now here, in Mark’s room. He wondered if Donghyuck would fit just as easily, and wished he wasn’t afraid to ask. But Donghyuck intimidated him in more ways than one, and he didn’t want to be pushy.</p><p>Mark finished his project and submitted it with a sigh, stretching out his back and reaching for one of the drinks he had bought at the convenience store as he opened up the document for his English paper. He was already done outlining and had finished the first body paragraph, but he still had five more to go, plus the introduction and conclusion. But he could probably finish it by tonight.</p><p>He pulled up the article he was reading earlier, and opened his notebook for the notes, working diligently for the next hour. By the time he had finished three more body paragraphs, he realized that Renjun’s humming had stopped.</p><p>Spinning around in his chair, he found Renjun curled up in his bed asleep, head pillowed on his open sketchbook. Mark stared at the rise and fall of his chest, lips parted in both surprise and awe. In his sleep, Renjun looked like an angel, his face relaxed and serene. Mark rolled his chair closer to the bed, reaching out to shake Renjun awake, but he paused.</p><p>Like this, Renjun was still beautiful, but not intimidatingly so. Mark could look at him, really look at him, without those unnerving fox-like eyes looking back. He took in the gentle slope of Renjun’s nose, the dark lashes fanning over delicate cheekbones, the dainty curve of Renjun’s jawline. Looked closely at his thin, rosy lips and his pale throat. At the slender fingers still curled loosely around a pencil, resting just below Renjun’s chin. At the slightest glimpse of a sharp hip bone where Renjun’s shirt had ridden up. He looked like a dream.</p><p>Mark immediately tore his gaze away when he realized he had been staring, his cheeks burning as he turned back to his paper. He felt like a creep, mentally cursing himself for watching someone sleep. He tried focusing on his essay, but he couldn’t help occasionally peeking at Renjun, still asleep. He debated waking him, but remembered that Renjun had a long day, and he looked so peaceful. It couldn’t hurt to let him sleep a little longer.</p><p>Half an hour later, Mark had finally finished his essay, typing out the last of his annotated bibliography before shutting off his computer with a sigh. He almost didn’t hear the tiny sniffle, but he definitely heard the squeak that followed as Renjun yawned and stretched, pushing himself up off the bed, squinting blearily around the room. His hair was rucked up on one side and he had a smear of graphite on his cheek. Mark did his best to suppress a smile when sleepy eyes landed on him, then immediately widened as Renjun realized where he was.</p><p>“Oh my god,” Renjun said, covering his face with his hands. “Shit, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep!”</p><p>“Nah, you’re good,” Mark told him, holding back a laugh. “You were only out for, like, forty minutes tops.”</p><p>“Still…” Renjun lowered his hands, his entire face flushed pink. “God, this is really embarrassing.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it! Really,” Mark assured him. “I swear I don’t mind. But what about your homework, though?”</p><p>“Oh.” Renjun glanced down at his sketchbook, still laid open on the bed. “I finished already. Er, sorry, but can I use your bathroom? I really want to wash my face.”</p><p>Mark tapped his cheek. “Yeah, you’ve got something right here. It’s down the hall, first door on the right.”</p><p>“Thanks.” Mark watched in amusement as Renjun hopped off the bed and practically ran out the door. He scooted his chair over to his backpack, too lazy to stand up, and pulled out his Chemistry textbook to get a head start on tomorrow’s lesson. He was about to push off the ground with his feet when he caught sight of Renjun’s sketchbook. He looked away as soon as he realized what he was doing, not wanting to invade Renjun’s privacy, but he couldn’t help marvelling over the little glimpse he had gotten. It had looked like a two page sketch of portraits, but he didn’t see much more than that.</p><p>Renjun was really talented, if the beautiful portraits were anything to go by. Mark wasn’t really surprised -- trust Renjun to be good at art in addition to cooking and volleyball. He wondered what else Renjun excelled at, and he wanted to find out.</p><p><em>I wonder what Donghyuck is good at, </em>Mark thought to himself as he took notes. <em>I don’t really know that much about him, but I want to.</em></p><p>“Hey,” Mark said when Renjun walked back in, face washed and hair slightly damp, his bangs hanging into his eyes. Mark’s fingers twitched with the urge to push them back, so he held them in his lap. “What’s Donghyuck like?”</p><p>Renjun didn’t even look surprised; he simply sat down on the bed and patted the space next to him like he owned the place. Mark hesitated, but quickly scrambled to get off the chair and sit down on the mattress next to Renjun, hugging a pillow to his chest.</p><p>“The first thing you should know about Donghyuck is that he’s very stubborn,” Renjun told him solemnly. Mark nodded -- he had witnessed Donghyuck’s stubbornness first hand. “The second thing you should know is that he’s actually one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. I know he doesn’t show it, but he really is. He volunteers at a retirement home every summer and the old ladies there love him. He feeds the stray cats that live around his apartment building. He’s the first to help a teammate polish their skills, even if it means staying late.”</p><p>Mark thought of that day, when Renjun had knocked him over, and Donghyuck had held his wrists so Renjun could clean the scrapes on his palms. It seemed so insignificant now, but Mark was pretty sure Donghyuck still disliked him at that time. And he had allowed Mark to come with them to bubble tea, and had lent his shirt to Mark after his own got wet. He still remembered the way it had smelled, a little like sweat and deodorant, but mostly of honeysuckle and cocoa butter.</p><p>“He’s also really smart,” Renjun continued. “I think he’s the top student in our year, or maybe second? But it’s still really impressive. He loves science, especially biology. I’ve never seen him score less than a ninety-five on his tests. He also loves to sing, and he’s crazy good. Dance, too, I think, but he’s never shown me.”</p><p>“Wow,” Mark breathed. It was all too easy to imagine Donghyuck, with his long limbs and his natural grace, as a dancer. Or a singer, with his smooth, saccharine voice. Donghyuck was born for the spotlight, and maybe that was why he worked so well as a setter. The setter on a volleyball team was the control tower of the team -- leading the plays and making the best decisions on the spot, but also bringing out the potential of their teammates. It was a position much suited for someone like Donghyuck. “I…I really want to know him.”</p><p>“He wants to know you too, trust me. But he’s actually quite shy, and he doesn’t open up to people easily. So work hard with him, okay?” Renjun took Mark’s hand, thumbing over his palm, rubbing at the faint scars left behind from the scrapes that had yet to fade.</p><p>“I will,” Mark promised, and he meant it.</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Renjun didn’t think that he would be sharing a bed with Mark Lee any time soon, but that was what ended up happening. Neither of them were sleeping, but they were laying side by side, staring up at the ceiling as if they were stargazing. Mark’s walls were painted a light shade of blue that made Renjun feel like he was in a peaceful pond. Or maybe that was just the way Mark made him feel. He could feel the warmth radiating off Mark’s skin even though they were a few centimetres apart, and the thick comforter beneath him made it feel like he was laying on a cloud. He was tempted to fall asleep again with Mark’s low voice as a soundtrack, but he was still embarrassed from the first time.</p><p>Mark was talking about how he was hoping to get the volleyball team on a weekend training retreat. Renjun had no idea what he was talking about, but he was content to listen as Mark rambled about budgets and sponsors. Apparently Mark was trying to arrange for the Huskies to train with two other schools in the district.</p><p>“Between this and the practice match against the Whitelock university team, you’ve already done so much for us,” Renjun murmured. “Not to mention the data you’ve been pulling from our practices and compiling for the coach.”</p><p>“Ah, I feel like I haven’t done much, though. I mean, our manager is really great. She does a lot for our team, so I’m trying my best to be like her.”</p><p><em>God, </em>Renjun couldn’t stand him.</p><p>“You’re perfect,” Renjun said, rolling onto his side to look at him. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. We appreciate everything you do.”</p><p>Mark gave him a bashful smile, and Renjun grinned back at him. Mark’s gaze fell to his mouth, and he subconsciously licked his lips, unable to look away even though his mind was screaming at him to. He watched as Mark’s smile faded and he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. Like a magnet was pulling them together, Renjun found himself leaning in, his eyes focused on the curve of Mark’s bottom lip--</p><p>
  <em>Ding!</em>
</p><p>Jerking back, Renjun broke out of his daze, face heating up madly as he scrambled to sit up and dig his phone out of his pocket. Mark had scrambled back to the very edge of the bed, one hand over his mouth and his eyes wide with shock. Renjun looked away, his cheeks burning, and turned on his phone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>from: donghyuck</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>code gray please come get me</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Shit,” he said aloud, looking up from his screen. Mark was already peering at him in concern, the red on his face fading into a light pink,</p><p>“Everything alright?” Mark asked, sounding worried. A little part of Renjun <em>aww-</em>ed, but he was too distracted, typing out a response as fast as he could.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>to: donghyuck</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>i’m on my way</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“It’s Donghyuck,” Renjun explained, rolling off the bed and onto his feet, scooping up his backpack from the ground. “Something bad happened with his brother. I’m sorry, I have to go.”</p><p>“Hey, wait.” Mark hopped off the bed too, grabbing Renjun’s arm before he could take off. “Let me drive you. It’ll take a while to get there by bus, and Donghyuck needs you ASAP.”</p><p>Renjun shook his head. “No, it’s fine, I can take a cab or something, there’s no need for you to get involved.”</p><p>“Renjun,” Mark said gently, “I’m going to be involved sooner or later, aren’t I? So let me do this for you, and for Hyuck. Let me help.”</p><p>Renjun squeezed his eyes shut, twitching restlessly in Mark’s hold. He didn’t have time to weigh the pros and the cons of letting Mark drive him. He needed to get to Donghyuck.</p><p>“Okay,” he agreed finally. “But you have to stay in the car. I don’t know if he’ll be okay with you…”</p><p>“Don’t worry, I get it,” Mark said immediately, and Renjun breathed a sigh of relief. He ran down the stairs, nearly slipping on the polished wood and catching himself on the banister for a second before jumping down the rest. He shoved his feet into his shoes without bothering to unlace them, throwing open the front door. He heard Mark’s footsteps behind him, the jingling of keys, and then Mark’s car chirping as it unlocked. Renjun hopped into the passenger seat, and Mark joined him a minute later.</p><p>“Do you know where to go?”</p><p>“I drove Jisung home once. They live in the same building.”</p><p>Renjun nodded, falling back into the seat and closing his eyes as Mark pulled out of the driveway. He hoped that Donghyuck was alright. “Code gray” was their go-to message whenever something bad was happening. Their SOS call. Donghyuck was rarely one to use it, so something must have gone wrong during dinner with his brother. Renjun jiggled his leg, impatient. He hated that he wasn’t there when Donghyuck needed him, even if he knew that he couldn’t logically be there all the time. He just really wanted to.</p><p>He was surprised that Mark hadn’t asked any questions, but he was grateful. While he and Donghyuck were more attuned than most, he had no idea how much Donghyuck would want to share with anyone other than him.</p><p>He didn’t really know much himself. Just that Donghyuck’s parents had died three years ago and that Donghyuck was left in the care of his older brother. When they first met, he knew that Donghyuck was struggling, and had missed maybe one too many meals, so when they started dating, he always invited him over for meals and sleepovers. He had mentioned some of Donghyuck’s past to his parents, and they were more than willing to accommodate Donghyuck, but his boyfriend was stubborn and prideful to a fault. He would rather help others than let himself be helped.</p><p>“Oh Donghyuckie,” Renjun murmured to himself. “What have you gotten yourself into?”</p><p>“Is he okay?” Mark’s voice startled Renjun out of his daze.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Renjun said. “We’ll have to find out when we get there.”</p><p>It only took a few more minutes to get to Donghyuck’s apartment, but they were stress filled and anxiety inducing. Renjun practically chewed a hole through his lower lip as he stared out the window. He mentally reminded himself, once this was all done, to thank Mark for driving him and cutting down a thirty minute bus ride to a ten minute drive.</p><p>The car had barely rolled to a stop before Renjun jumped out, ankles jolting painfully when they made contact with the ground. He sprinted for the door to Donghyuck’s building, made it halfway up the path before Donghyuck burst through the entrance and ran straight into Renjun’s arms, burying his face in the crook of his neck.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Renjun whispered, tightening his arms around Donghyuck’s trembling form.</p><p>“Yeah,” Donghyuck said hoarsely. Renjun frowned when he felt something sticky and wet smear on his skin, too thick to be tears.</p><p>“Donghyuck?” He pushed Donghyuck away gently, freezing when he caught sight of the blood trickling from his temple. “Oh my god, did he hurt you?”</p><p>“What? No!” Donghyuck denied vehemently. “I ran into the corner of the cabinet in the kitchen. He was just super wasted, and his creepy friends brought him home.”</p><p>Renjun sighed in relief, but he still examined his boyfriend for any other injuries. Donghyuck had an incredible aversion to alcohol, and never wanted to be around it, which was bad enough, but Donghyun’s creep friends made gross comments about Donghyuck behind his brother’s back.</p><p>“They didn’t touch you, did they?” Renjun asked, and Donghyuck shook his head.</p><p>“No,” he said bitterly. “But they wanted to. I could tell. As soon as they got Donghyun into his room I ran out of there.”</p><p>“God,” Renjun said, pulling Donghyuck in for another hug, squeezing tightly even though he was probably crushing Donghyuck’s ribs. “I’m so glad you’re okay. You need to tell Donghyun about the shit they’ve said to you.”</p><p>“I can’t,” Donghyuck protested immediately, but he didn’t say anything else. Renjun wanted to push, wanted to know <em>why, </em>but Donghyuck’s lips were pressed together in a thin line, and he knew he wasn’t getting anything out of him tonight.</p><p>“Fine. But if they come around again, I’ll tell him myself.”</p><p>“Fine,” Donghyuck sighed, sounding resigned. “Now let’s get out of here. How did you get here so fast, anyway?”</p><p>Renjun hesitated. “About that… Mark drove me here.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s eyes widened. “Mark’s here?”</p><p>“I needed a ride,” Renjun said hurriedly. “I was worried something had happened, and I was with Mark when you texted me, so he offered to drive.”</p><p>“No, don’t worry it’s okay… I’m not mad. It’s just, well, how much does he know?” Donghyuck asked. Renjun caught him fidgeting with his sleeves, pulling them over his fists the way he always did when he was nervous.</p><p>“Nothing, really,” Renjun answered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “I was adamant about not telling him anything because it’s yours to tell, and I was kind of a nervous wreck so…”</p><p>Donghyuck giggled, and Renjun knew he would be okay. “So he just drove you here? No questions asked?”</p><p>“Pretty much,” Renjun said, laughing a little now that his head was clear. “He’s good, isn’t he?”</p><p>Donghyuck’s eyes softened. “Yeah, he’s good. Let’s go thank him.”</p><p>“You need to get that cut cleaned,” Renjun chided softly, taking Donghyuck’s arm and leading him to Mark’s car. “Should we go to the hospital? Maybe you’re concussed.”</p><p>“I’m fine, Renjun,” Donghyuck said, sounding long suffering as if he hadn’t taken off years of Renjun’s life when he saw him all bloody.</p><p>“Whoa!” Mark exclaimed when Donghyuck climbed in the backseat. “What happened to you?”</p><p>“Had a run in with the edge of a cabinet,” Donghyuck said solemnly. Renjun shoved him until he moved over so he could climb into the backseat too. Mark leaned back to switch on the light in the ceiling, then dug into the glove compartment, pulling out a small first aid kit and handing it to Renjun.</p><p>“One time, when I was a kid, I ran face first into a doorknob and split my head open,” Mark said casually, and Renjun coughed out a laugh, completely startled. “So, where am I taking you?”</p><p>“My place?” Renjun asked, unzipping the first aid kit and taking out an alcohol swab to clean the blood off of Donghyuck’s face. He was relieved to find that the cut was rather small, barely bigger than his thumbnail, and had just bled messily. The bleeding had already slowed, so Renjun taped a piece of bandage to Donghyuck’s temple and figured he would let his mom check him over.</p><p>Donghyuck nodded, so Renjun told Mark his address and began cleaning up the supplies, pocketing the empty wrappers to throw out when he got home and zipping up the kit.</p><p>“So what were you guys doing together anyway?” Donghyuck asked casually. Renjun quickly glanced at him, wondering if he was angry, but he just looked curious. Of course, Donghyuck would never be mad over something as simple as that.</p><p>“Just studying, actually,” Renjun replied.</p><p>“Well, <em>I </em>was studying. <em>Renjun</em> fell asleep for like an hour,” Mark teased, pulling away from the curb. “Do you guys wanna get McDonald’s? It’s on the way.”</p><p><em>We should stick to our diets, </em>Renjun thought, but he took one look at Donghyuck curled up at his side with his bandaged head and said, “Sure, let’s get McDonald’s. Donghyuckie likes their hashbrowns.”</p><p>“I do,” Donghyuck murmured. “And their Egg McMuffins.”</p><p>“We’ll get you as many as you want,” Renjun said, patting his knee. “But we gotta go for a run in the morning.”</p><p>“Ugh,” Donghyuck groaned, but didn’t complain otherwise. The ride was mostly quiet except for Mark’s humming, and when they pulled into the McDonald’s drive-thru, Donghyuck was dozing against Renjun’s shoulder.</p><p>Renjun watched as Mark leaned out the window to get closer to the speaker. “Hi, can I get two Egg McMuffins and four hashbrowns? And, uh… a double cheeseburger and… a strawberry milkshake… hold on, one sec.” He pulled back into the car and twisted to face Renjun. “What do you want?”</p><p>“Medium fries?”</p><p>“Sure.” Mark poked his head out the window. “And can I get a large fry? Yes, that will be all, thank you.”</p><p>Renjun tried to get his wallet without jostling Donghyuck when Mark pulled up to the window. It was a difficult task, because Donghyuck was a light sleeper and his wallet was buried in the small zippered pouch of his backpack.</p><p>He finally got out a twenty to pay for his and Donghyuck’s food, and tapped Mark’s shoulder. Mark looked at it and turned back to the window.</p><p>“It’ll be on debit, thanks!”</p><p>“Hey!” Renjun protested, trying to hand Mark the bill. Mark just passed him a paper bag, and with only one hand, Renjun had to take it. Donghyuck startled awake, jabbing Renjun in the side and almost causing him to drop the food. By the time Mark was pulling away from the window, Renjun had been sufficiently distracted. “Mark!”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“Accept my money, damn it.”</p><p>“Sure,” Mark said with a laugh, and finally took the bill from Renjun. Pleased, Renjun settled in his seat and munched on his fries. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was, and he was grateful Mark had ordered him a large even if he said medium. Donghyuck was already taking the last bite of his third hashbrown. Renjun absentmindedly passed him a napkin.</p><p>“What were you working on at Mark’s?” Donghyuck asked quietly, running his index finger over the seam of Renjun’s jeans. He was clearly looking for a distraction,</p><p>“Oh, just some homework for Art class. Wanna see?” Donghyuck nodded, so Renjun grabbed his backpack off the floor and pulled out his sketchbook, flipping through the pages until he reached the assignment he had finished earlier. The prompt was “Someone I Care About”, but he couldn’t limit it to just one, so he drew portraits of his parents, his grandmother still living in Jilin, and of course, Donghyuck. A couple hours earlier, he had added one more portrait to the pages.</p><p>Donghyuck traced the lines of Mark’s face, careful not to smudge the graphite. Renjun had drawn him smiling, in the corner of the page, his hair messy and his glasses perched on his nose. Renjun’s favourite version of Mark. There were other versions he liked too — Mark in an apron with flour coating his fingers; Mark with a clipboard in his hand, watching their practices; Mark in his basketball uniform, a triumphant grin on his face — but this one was his favourite.</p><p>“It looks really good,” Donghyuck said quietly, glancing up at Renjun with earnest eyes. He felt the hand on his leg squeeze slightly in comfort and understood what Donghyuck was trying to say without words. <em>I care about him too. </em></p><p>“We’re here,” Mark sang, startling them both. “Or at least, I think we are.”</p><p>Renjun glanced out the window and spotted familiar houses, ones that he had grown up across from, and blushed. He hadn’t even noticed they were in his neighborhood.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s my house there,” Renjun said, pointing out the window on Donghyuck’s side. “It’s the only yellow house on the street, you can’t miss it.”</p><p>He took off his seatbelt and shoved his sketchbook and wallet into his backpack, hopping out of the car. Donghyuck followed, and Renjun automatically reached a hand out to steady him.</p><p>“Mark,” Donghyuck called through the open door. “Come out of the car, please.”</p><p>He shut it and pulled Renjun around to the other side of the car, having no qualms about standing in the middle of the street.</p><p>Mark climbed out of the car, looking confused, but Donghyuck didn’t give him time to open his mouth before he threw his arms around him.</p><p>“Thank you for driving us,” Donghyuck said. Mark’s startled look morphed into a small smile, and he awkwardly held Donghyuck around the middle. Renjun held back a snort.</p><p>“Uh sure, no problem,” Mark said. Donghyuck laughed and released him, dashing across the street without looking for cars and entering Renjun’s house like he owned the place.</p><p>“I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Renjun said with a laugh. “Thanks again for driving me.”</p><p>“It was no problem,” Mark insisted, and to Renjun’s surprise, he held out his arms expectantly. Renjun stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Mark’s neck, breathing in the scent of laundry soap and something sweeter, his cologne having faded throughout the day. He felt Mark’s hand on his waist and he shivered, tempted to just stay here, but Donghyuck was waiting inside and his parents were probably wondering where he was.</p><p>“Drive home safely,” Renjun breathed, brushing his lips against the curve of Mark’s jaw before stepping away, smirking when he caught sight of Mark’s wide eyes, red creeping up on his cheeks.</p><p>“G-goodnight,” Mark blurted, and Renjun gave him one last smile before crossing the street and entering the house. Donghyuck greeted him at the door, and they both turned to wave at Mark, waiting until he climbed into his car and drove away before shutting the door.</p><p>“I saw that,” Donghyuck sang as Renjun kicked off his shoes and put them on the rack. “Also, he totally put your money back in your pocket when he grabbed your waist.”</p><p>“<em>What?!</em>” Renjun dug into the pocket of his hoodie and sure enough, his twenty dollar bill was tucked in the fabric, neatly folded. “Shit, I didn’t even notice!”</p><p>“He’s sneakier than I gave him credit for,” Donghyuck said with a pleased smile, then flounced into the kitchen, yelling a loud “hi, momma, I missed you!” at Renjun’s poor unsuspecting mother.</p><p>Renjun sighed, looking at the bill in his hand. But he couldn’t help smiling a little when he tucked it back into his wallet, remembering Mark’s hand on his waist.</p><p>“Oh Mark Lee,” Renjun whispered to himself. “What are you doing to me?”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which they kiss, kiss, fall in love.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>welcome back to another chapter! or, if you're new here, i hope you've enjoyed the story so far!</p><p> CONTENT WARNINGS: mentions of racism</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Donghyuck woke up in Renjun’s bed alone. He was used to this, because Renjun went for his morning run at 5:30 every morning, but when Donghyuck rolled over it was a few minutes before seven. Usually, Renjun would have woken him up around this time for breakfast and to get ready for school.</p><p>He heard muffled voices coming from downstairs, and frowned when they raised in volume. He climbed out of bed, shivering when his bare legs hit the cold air, and padded out into the hall. He made it halfway down the stairs before he heard Renjun’s mother mention his name and he froze. <em>Were they talking about him?</em></p><p>“I know you’re upset with me—” that was Renjun’s voice, “—but you’re punishing Donghyuck too. Mom, you know what it’s like for him. He needs me, I can’t just—“</p><p>“—then he can come over but—“</p><p>“—date on Saturday!”</p><p>“—need to get your grades up. I’m disappointed in you.”</p><p>Donghyuck heard a door slam, and spun around on the steps, creeping back into Renjun’s room and hiding under the covers. He heard Renjun enter a few moments later, rummage around in his closet, and then disappear into the bathroom. He waited until the shower started running before hopping out of bed and heading downstairs.</p><p>He found Renjun’s mother in the kitchen, a cup of tea in her weathered hands. He smiled a little to himself — Renjun always drank tea after distressing moments, and he most definitely picked it up from his mom.</p><p>“Donghyuckie,” she said, when she caught sight of him. “Good morning. Sorry, did we wake you?”</p><p>“Yeah, but it’s okay, it’s time to get ready for school, anyway.”</p><p>Renjun’s mom gave him a wry smile. “So, I suppose you’re here to negotiate Renjun’s punishment?”</p><p>“A little bit,” Donghyuck admitted. “I know you don’t want us going out except for volleyball, but… but Momma, we have a date on Saturday.”</p><p>“Yes, he told me.”</p><p>“Did he tell you it’s with Mark?” Donghyuck said desperately. “It’s our first date. He’s gonna think we don’t like him.”</p><p>Her jaw dropped, and she put her cup down with a loud clink. Donghyuck winced, wondering if she cracked the ceramic. “The three of you?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“On a date? Together?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>She slumped in her chair with a sigh, her hand pressed to her forehead. “You know, every time I think that I’ve finally figured you two out, you go ahead and surprise me again.”</p><p>Donghyuck fidgeted with his sleeves. “Are you mad?”</p><p>She softened. “Oh, no, of course not, baby. I may not… understand, but I am always supportive of you two as long as you’re happy.”</p><p>Renjun’s mom stood up, holding her arms open, and Donghyuck ran to her. Even though she was smaller than him, she folded him in her arms and let him hide his face in her neck. He felt like crying, a little bit, but it was too early and his face would go all blotchy, so he just breathed in the scent of lavender and willed the tears away.</p><p>“Okay. <em>If </em>Renjun promises he’ll spend a little more time studying, then I will allow him to go on his date this weekend,” Renjun’s mom said, petting Donghyuck’s hair. “But he’ll still be grounded next week. That boy needs more discipline, he’s got his head in the clouds.”</p><p>Donghyuck frowned, wanting to defend Renjun, but it would be hopeless. Though Renjun’s parents were pretty progressive and accepting, they still had their ideas of what was best for Renjun, and while those didn’t necessarily align with Renjun’s own dreams, he still wanted to fulfill his duties as an only child. Which meant he was going to study business, medicine, or law. Renjun often said he didn’t mind, but Donghyuck wondered if he ever wanted to become something else.</p><p>Still, it wasn’t Donghyuck’s battle to fight, no matter how much he wanted to, so he just hugged Renjun’s mom tighter before stepping back. Renjun was probably done with his shower by now, and he would get suspicious if Donghyuck didn’t come back soon.</p><p>To his surprise, Renjun’s mom leaned up and pinched his cheek. “You’re a good boy, Donghyuckie. Now go get ready for school or you’ll be late.”</p><p>She spun him around and patted him on his bum. He giggled and hurried for the steps, finding Renjun sitting at the top with a smile on his face.</p><p>“Were you eavesdropping?” Donghyuck accused.</p><p>“Oh, like you can talk,” Renjun laughed, standing up and taking Donghyuck’s hand. They walked back to his room. Donghyuck immediately began raiding Renjun’s closet for an outfit. “My hero, defending my honor to my mom. Or did you just want to save our date with Mark?”</p><p>Donghyuck huffed. “You’re welcome, by the way. I was originally planning to just go without you. We all know Mark likes me better.”</p><p>“Brat,” Renjun scoffed, punching Donghyuck in the arm. “But really, thank you. I was worried that I wouldn’t be allowed to go. It would have sucked if we had to postpone our date.”</p><p>“Speaking of dates,” Donghyuck said, pulling a hoodie over his shirt. His head popped out of the top and he continued, “what about our anniversary date?”</p><p>“What about it?” Renjun asked, looping a belt around his waist. “Does this look stupid?” Donghyuck eyed his all black ensemble, the only colour being his red belt and matching red Converse, and shook his head.</p><p>“You know… would it be weird to celebrate our two year anniversary if we’re trying to get Mark to date us?”</p><p>Renjun frowned. “We already made the reservations, though. It’ll be expensive to cancel. Maybe we could just invite him with us?”</p><p>“Yeah but, like, is he gonna want to? I don’t want to make him feel like a third wheel. Isn’t it kinda rude to celebrate two years that he wasn’t part of?” Donghyuck slid on a pair of track pants and considered himself dressed, flopping on Renjun’s bed to watch him apply BB cream.</p><p>“I guess you’re right. I don’t think it’d be a big deal if we just went, though? Like, there’s gonna be times when one of us can’t go on a date or something. We won’t be able to do everything together all the time. Besides, who knows if we’ll even be dating by then?” Renjun finished getting ready and scooped up his bag from the floor, tucking his homework from the night before into his binder before zipping it up.</p><p>“I guess you’re right,” Donghyuck said. “But I think we should just ask him if he would mind?”</p><p>“Yeah, let’s just do that,” Renjun said. “Not gonna lie, I’m kind of worried that asking might… also not go well.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Donghyuck asked, following Renjun downstairs. “How could it not go well?”</p><p>“I dunno, how do you ask someone if you can either go on a date without them or if they can be the third wheel to your date? Even if we try our best to make him feel included, the reality is it’s our second anniversary. Also, like, we’re not even dating. Isn’t that kind of pressuring?”</p><p>“I didn’t even think of it that way.” Donghyuck sat on the floor in the hall and pulled his shoes on while Renjun grabbed a jacket from the closet. “Maybe we should wait until after the date. If it goes well, and we’re… boyfriends? Then we can ask him, and if not we could just… go on the date without saying anything.”</p><p>“Yeah, that sounds good.” Donghyuck stood up, shoes neatly laced. Renjun handed him his gym bag, and Donghyuck checked to make sure he had his court shoes and knee pads.</p><p>“Also,” Renjun said before Donghyuck could open the front door, “I don’t know if you realized, but you called my mom ‘Momma’ earlier.”</p><p>Donghyuck flushed, biting down on his lip. “Sorry, I guess it just slipped out.”</p><p>“Don’t apologize!” Renjun said hurriedly. “I loved that you called her Mom. She sees you as a son, you know? I’m pretty sure she loves you more than me.”</p><p>“He’s right,” Renjun’s mom appeared, holding two wrapped lunch boxes. She handed one to each of them and kissed their cheeks. “Not about loving you more. I love you two equally. Donghyuck, you’re like family. You are welcome here any time.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Donghyuck said, clearing his throat when his voice cracked awkwardly. He was <em>not </em>going to cry, damn it.</p><p>“By the way,” Renjun’s mom added, “the Mark you two are going on a date with wouldn’t happen to be Mark Lee, would it?”</p><p>Donghyuck and Renjun exchanged glances, before nodding. “Why? You know him, Mom?”</p><p>“I do, actually. Do you remember last summer when the elementary school built that community garden?” They nodded again. Renjun’s mom was part of the neighborhood association that was in charge of the student volunteers. “Mark was our best volunteer. He came early every morning and spent all day in the heat pulling weeds. He’s a good kid. A good third choice.”</p><p>“It wasn’t really a choice, Mom,” Renjun said, but he was smiling. “But yeah, he’s good. He’s really good.”</p><p>Donghyuck imagined Mark on his hands and knees in a bed of soil, happily planting carrots or something (he had no idea what went in a community garden). Helping the environment and the community. It was so <em>Mark </em>that it made him smile, too.</p><p>“You boys better get going or you’ll be late,” Renjun’s mom said, practically shoving them out the door. Donghyuck bumped into Renjun with his gym bag and nearly sent him flying.</p><p>“Bye, Mommy.”</p><p>“Bye, Mom,” Donghyuck said shyly, and Renjun’s mom beamed at him. They waved once more before heading to the bus stop together, their hands intertwined. It was warmer today, and the sun was out.</p><p>Donghyuck blinked up at the brilliant blue sky and hoped that today would be as good as the weather.</p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yesterday, before Mark had left for his away game, Renjun had hugged him and whispered a sweet “good luck!” that had rung in his ears for the rest of the evening. And when he had gotten home, both Renjun and Donghyuck had texted him congratulations on their victory. They had probably seen it on someone’s Snapchat story, but it had still warmed his heart to think that they cared enough to find out the outcome of the game and text Mark about it.</p><p>They had also texted him to wear something casual but not too casual, and to bring a jacket because they were going to be outdoors a lot. Mark was currently debating between a leather jacket, a blazer, and a denim jacket.</p><p>“Wear the denim,” Yukhei said for the third time. He was sprawled on Mark’s bed after Mark had called him in a panic, and despite the fact that it was nine in the morning on a Saturday, he was already doing his homework. “What time are they picking you up?”</p><p>“Ten thirty,” Mark answered, finally deciding on a white shirt, black jeans combo to pair with the black denim jacket. He took out a silver watch his mother had given him for Christmas last year, and found a simple silver chain, leaving the accessories on his dresser to put on after his shower. “Do you think this is too casual?”</p><p>“Hmm.” Yukhei stared at the outfit Mark held up appraisingly. “Wear your fancy belt. The Louis Vuitton one.”</p><p>Mark dug it out of his closet. It was a gift from his uncle, one of the less flashier belts. He had never worn it before, so it still looked brand new. He left it on the dresser as well and brought his clothes into the bathroom. He took his time in the shower, worried about smelling bad, and carefully applied lotion and deodorant to his skin.</p><p>After washing his face and brushing his teeth twice, he styled his hair off his forehead, then returned to his room to get dressed. Yukhei was scowling at his textbook with the fury of a thousand suns, so Mark left him be as he wrapped his belt around his waist, making sure his shirt was tucked in neatly.</p><p>“Wear the all black Converse,” Yukhei advised when Mark stared at his shoe rack in dismay. He thanked Yukhei and quickly pulled them on, then spent the next ten minutes looking for his keys, wallet, and phone. It was almost ten thirty, and Mark was jittering with nerves.</p><p>“You have chapstick and mints?”</p><p>“I need chapstick and mints?” Mark asked. Yukhei just gave him a dirty look, so he went into his mom’s room to find an unopened tube of chapstick and a half empty pack of mints. She carried them in all of her purses. Maybe Yukhei was right. “I’m so nervous, fuck.”</p><p>“I can tell,” Yukhei said, rolling over on Mark’s bed to reach his backpack. He pulled out an eyeliner pencil and waved it at Mark. “Want me to put some on you? You’ll look hot, I promise.”</p><p>Five minutes later, Yukhei had given Mark a “smokey eye” look. Mark didn’t really notice a difference, but it made Yukhei happy, so he kept it on. Renjun texted him a simple <em>on our way!! </em>so he stood at the door, tapping his foot impatiently while Yukhei dusted his clothes with a lint roller.</p><p>“Thanks for all your help,” Mark said honestly. Yukhei just beamed and gave him a thumbs up before heading into the kitchen to presumably raid his pantry for snacks. “Spare key’s in the plant pot on the porch, okay? Just lock up when you leave.”</p><p>“Okay!” Yukhei called back, just as Mark’s phone lit up with a text telling him to come outside. He glanced at his reflection one last time and pocketed his phone, unlocking the door and pulling it open. Renjun and Donghyuck were bickering in front of a beat up Toyota, and though he giggled a little at their antics, he had to admit they both looked really good. Renjun was wearing a thick black sweater and black jeans, while Donghyuck had on a white turtleneck and grey slacks. They were both wearing matching heeled boots, except Donghyuck’s boots had moon-shaped buckles while Renjun’s buckles were sun-shaped.</p><p>“Hi,” Mark said, pulling the front door shut and locking it before pocketing his keys. He skipped down the porch, nervous, but they both brightened when they saw him.</p><p>“Mark, hi! You look good,” Renjun said, and Donghyuck nodded in agreement.</p><p>Mark flushed. “Th-thanks. You do, too. So, um. Where are we heading?”</p><p>“We were thinking brunch,” Donghyuck said. “Unless you ate already?”</p><p>“I haven’t! I was... I was too nervous actually,” Mark admitted, and Donghyuck smiled at him.</p><p>“That’s perfect! Shall we get going, then?” And, like a gentleman, he popped open the door to the backseat for Mark to hop in. To Mark’s surprise, Donghyuck slid into the seat next to him while Renjun got into the driver’s seat.</p><p>“You’re not gonna sit up front?” Mark asked curiously.</p><p>Donghyuck scoffed. “As if we’re gonna let you sit by yourself! Anyway, we have a full itinerary today, so I hope you had a good night’s sleep.”</p><p>Mark didn’t, because he was too anxious, but he chose not to say so. Instead, he smiled, and after a moment of hesitation, took Donghyuck’s hand. He was talking about his project for Biology, and Mark was content to just listen. Donghyuck had an interesting way of speaking. He would start his sentences slowly and deliberately, but when he got excited he would speed up, tripping on words and gesticulating with his hands before he caught himself and slowed down again. It was cute. Donghyuck was really endearing.</p><p>“We’re here,” Donghyuck sang, and by the time Mark had gotten his seatbelt off, Donghyuck was already out of the car, holding the door open like a gentleman. Mark was so distracted by Donghyuck’s smile, he forgot to watch out for the top of the car as he climbed out.</p><p>“Ow,” Mark whined, holding his forehead. It didn’t really hurt, but it made Donghyuck laugh, bending over and clutching his sides.</p><p>“Oh, poor baby,” Donghyuck choked out, trying his best to sound sympathetic. Mark pouted at him. Renjun scolded them both for lollygagging — that was the word he used, like he was an old lady and they were little kids.</p><p>Brunch was a delightful affair. Mark had never felt so important in his life. Renjun and Donghyuck paid attention to his every word, and they kept smiling at him, even when he knocked over Donghyuck’s half-full glass of orange juice. Renjun had just laughed and asked the waiter for extra napkins to clean it up while Donghyuck teased him for being clumsy.</p><p>They argued over the bill, and finally agreed to split it three ways, leaving a big tip for the poor waiter that had to deal with their antics. After brunch, they take Mark to a board game café, where they drink smoothies and play Monopoly. Mark helped Donghyuck cheat when Renjun wasn’t looking, and when they got caught and Renjun faked outrage, Donghyuck leaned over and kissed his cheek, and Renjun clamped his mouth shut, turning red.</p><p>They drove down to the waterfront and walked along the path, taking pictures when they got to the platform that overlooked the bay. Donghyuck got chased by some angry geese that had Mark and Renjun in stitches, and they took a break to drink slushies on a park bench.</p><p>It was the most fun Mark’s ever had, and the day wasn’t even half over.</p><p>“Where are we going now?” Mark asked in the middle of jamming to Khalid. Donghyuck was slumped against his side in the backseat, and Renjun was up front again.</p><p>“You’ll see,” Donghyuck said mysteriously, his eyes glittering with mirth. Mark nearly yelped in excitement when they pulled up in front of a laser tag venue, plastering himself against the window.</p><p>“Oh my god are we going there? Tell me we’re going there!”</p><p>“We’re going there!” Renjun said with a laugh, and Mark whooped, scrambling to get out of the car. He hadn’t been to laser tag in a long time. Last year, his friends had gone during the summer, but he was sick and unable to go. They had promised to take him when he felt better, but never ended up happening.</p><p>“This is the best date <em>ever</em>,” Mark said happily, bouncing with excitement. He was practically vibrating throughout the entire safety demonstration, eager to play. Renjun and Donghyuck knew the owner of the place and managed to get them an entire maze room to themselves for two games. They were playing Stealth, which meant the lights on their vests were turned off and it was every man for themselves.</p><p>Mark immediately went for high ground as soon as the clock started. He found a base in one of the corners and quickly darted up the ramp, peering through the window cutouts. He managed to shoot Renjun once before he ducked away, then immediately crouched down, hoping he hadn’t given away his location.</p><p>He waited for a few minutes and spotted Renjun again, shooting him before turning around and exiting the base. He barely made it halfway down the ramp before he tripped and crashed straight into Donghyuck who he hadn’t seen coming in the dark. The two of them rolled down to the bottom of the ramp in a tangle, Mark bumping his elbow and Donghyuck knocking his head off of Mark’s gun. They ended up in a pile on the floor, with Donghyuck on top and Mark pinned to the ground, both of them panting.</p><p>In the dim lighting, with his hair a mess and his fingers wrapped around a gun, Donghyuck took Mark’s breath away. He couldn’t do anything but stare up at him, even when Donghyuck’s weight shifted and suddenly he was so close, his face inches away from Mark’s.</p><p>“This okay?” Donghyuck asked, and Mark could do nothing but nod before Donghyuck brought their mouths together. Their first kiss was chaste, nothing but a simple press of their lips, but Mark whined when Donghyuck pulled away, his hands scrabbling for purchase in the straps of Donghyuck’s vest, yanking him down for another kiss. He felt Donghyuck’s smile against his mouth, and his cheeks burned a little, knowing that Donghyuck was teasing, but he didn’t care. Donghyuck’s lips were soft and plush, and when Mark deepened the kiss he could taste the blue raspberry slushie Donghyuck had earlier on his tongue.</p><p>They broke apart after a couple minutes, and Donghyuck cupped his cheek gently, rubbing Mark’s cheekbone with his thumb, a fond smile on his face. Then, the smile suddenly turned to something more wicked, and before Mark could blink, Donghyuck was on his feet and Mark’s vest lit up bright red. He heard Donghyuck’s laughter ringing in his ears, but by the time he sat up, still dazed from the kiss, Donghyuck was already gone.</p><p>The bastard had shot him.</p><p>“Donghyuck!” Mark shouted, not caring that it was supposed to be Stealth. “I’m gonna get you for that!”</p><p>He received nothing but laughter in response. Mark jumped to his feet, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and took off after him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At the park, Renjun distinctly remembered Mark had ordered a watermelon slushie and Donghyuck had ordered a blue raspberry (he had gotten mango, but this wasn’t about him). When they had left, Mark’s tongue had been bright red and Donghyuck’s was a vivid blue.</p><p>But that didn’t matter now because when they walked out of their first round of laser tag, both their mouths were purple.</p><p>A little thrill ran through Renjun’s mind at the thought of Mark and Donghyuck kissing, but he didn’t say anything because Mark was clearly embarrassed. Donghyuck, on the other hand, was completely shameless, sauntering up to Renjun when Mark had left to use the bathroom and declaring loudly that he and Mark had made out in the maze.</p><p>“How the hell did you win if you were too busy kissing Mark?” Renjun asked, bewildered when the scores popped up on the board.</p><p>“Simple. I seduced him and shot him when his guard was down,” Donghyuck bragged, but he quieted down when Mark returned, still looking nervous and painfully shy.</p><p>Donghyuck went to grab them drinks before their next round, stealing coins from Renjun’s pocket for the vending machine. Renjun turned to Mark and found him chewing on his lower lip, lost in thought.</p><p>“Oh, don’t do that,” Renjun said immediately, reaching over to pull Mark’s lip from his teeth with his thumb. Mark froze, looking at him like a deer in headlights. “What are you so nervous for?”</p><p>“I—“</p><p>“I know you kissed Donghyuck,” Renjun told him gently. “Don’t worry, I’m not upset. Or maybe I’m a little bit upset, but only because I wanted to kiss you first.”</p><p>Mark looked like he was going to pass out.</p><p>“I’m back,” came Donghyuck’s voice, and he appeared with an armful of drinks. “Mark, I forgot to ask what you wanted, so I got a few options.”</p><p>“Sprite is fine,” Mark said, voice unusually high.</p><p>Donghyuck gave Renjun a look that read <em>what the fuck did you do to him. </em>Renjun just held his palms up before reaching for a bottle of Nestea. When they finished their drinks, it was time for their second round.</p><p>Renjun immediately found Mark in the dark maze, crouching down beside him. Mark startled, clearly not hearing him run up. He leaned in close, his voice barely above a whisper.</p><p>“Hey, let’s team up and take Donghyuck down,” Renjun suggested.</p><p>Mark immediately grinned, nodding his head. “Let’s do it.”</p><p>They headed for a base, creeping silently up the ramp and using their vantage point to scout for Donghyuck. Renjun spotted him hiding in a corner and shot him. Donghyuck broke into a run when his vest lit up and Mark darted to the other window, managing to nail him once more.</p><p>“C’mon, c’mon, let's get down before he corners us up here,” Renjun said, seizing Mark’s wrist and dragging him down the ramp. They sprinted through the maze together, and a scuffling sound had them crowding into a corner together, trying to catch their breaths as they listened for Donghyuck’s footsteps.</p><p>Renjun shoved closer, trapping Mark between his body and the wall. His legs end up slotted between Mark’s, their torsos pressed together. Donghyuck ran past them, and Renjun was grateful he had decided to wear all black today.</p><p>“Sorry,” he murmured when he was sure Donghyuck was gone. “Your shirt was white, I thought to cover it up.”</p><p>Mark didn’t answer, and Renjun was about to pull away when arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He looked up just as Mark looked down, eyes half-lidded, and from there it was easy to lean in. The first press of Mark’s lips on his own had Renjun melting, pushing impossibly closer. Mark’s arms tightened around him, and he reached up to cup Mark’s face.</p><p><em>Finally, </em>he thought, a little thrill of excitement running through his body. He tried to lean up on his toes for a better angle and overbalanced, accidentally biting down hard on Mark’s bottom lip.</p><p>“Ow,” Mark said when they separated.</p><p>“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Renjun said, cheeks burning. He didn’t expect their first kiss to be perfect, but he never imagined that he would embarrass himself like this.</p><p>Thinking back, most of their interactions with Mark had been like this. Donghyuck had dropped a popsicle on Mark’s expensive shoes. Renjun had tripped him in the hallway and he had fallen on his face. He had knocked Mark over with a door and caused him to scrape up his palms, and now he had practically chewed a hole through Mark’s lip. How humiliating.</p><p>Mark just smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>“What an awful first kiss,” Renjun mumbled, face burning.</p><p>“I thought it was great,” Mark said, “but if you don’t, I guess we’ll just have to remedy that.”</p><p>He tugged Renjun closer by the belt loops and Renjun, stunned by his boldness, went pliant in his hold. Their second kiss was much, much better. Mark yielded to his touch and let Renjun take control of their kiss, tangling his fingers in Mark’s hair and tugging lightly. He relished in the sound of Mark’s little gasp, and thought he could stand here kissing Mark all day.</p><p>That was until he heard footsteps again, and he yanked away from Mark, lifting his gun just as Donghyuck rounded the corner and firing.</p><p>“Holy shit!” Donghyuck yelped when his vest lit up. “I didn’t even see you there, what the fuck?”</p><p>Renjun giggled and broke out into a run, disappearing into the maze. He didn’t hear Mark behind him and figured that he must have gone in the other direction. He paused for a second at an intersection, and his vest lit up.</p><p>“Gotcha!” Donghyuck called somewhere from his right, so he headed straight and ducked behind a wall. When Donghyuck appeared, he shot him again, just as the game ended.</p><p>“Ha!” Renjun said in triumph while Donghyuck groaned in defeat. “Karma’s a bitch!”</p><p>“You and Mark teamed up on me!” Donghyuck accused as they exited the room. Mark appeared next to them a few seconds later, flushed with laughter. His hair was still a mess from Renjun’s fingers, and he looked so pretty that Renjun wanted to kiss him again.</p><p>“We did, and we got you good, so accept your defeat,” Renjun said with an exhilarated grin, hooking an arm around Mark’s shoulders as they waited for their scores.</p><p>“Yeah but it took <em>two </em>of you to beat me, so I think I still win,” Donghyuck said with a smirk. Renjun covered his face with one hand, shrieking when Donghyuck licked his palm and wiping it on Mark’s jacket.</p><p>“Here, you can have his cooties,” Renjun said with disgust.</p><p>“Hey!” Donghyuck and Mark exclaimed at the same time. Renjun laughed, darting away as Donghyuck tried to punch him in the arm.</p><p>“Let’s go before we get kicked out,” Renjun suggested, hooking his arms around Mark’s and Donghyuck’s, securing his spot in the middle and dragging them out the doors back to the car. “Should we go for dinner now? Or do something else?”</p><p>“What, you mean you didn’t plan this far ahead?” Mark said, and the teasing lilt to his voice made Renjun smile.</p><p>“We <em>did </em>plan dinner,” Donghyuck said, “but it’s a little early. Do you guys wanna just check out the stores around here?”</p><p>“Let’s go to that one,” Renjun said, pointing at a small shop sandwiched between a restaurant and a mattress store. It looked like a tiny, family-owned bookstore, and he was proven correct when they approached the storefront and saw shelves of books in the window. Renjun was distracted by the orange cat sleeping in front of the window, but Donghyuck was already running inside.</p><p>“He really loves books,” Renjun explained to Mark as they followed.</p><p>“Me too,” Mark said, looking around. He went to join Donghyuck in poring over the thriller section, and Renjun went to seek out the cat. He nearly tripped when another cat, a tuxedo, twined its body around his legs.</p><p>“Oh my god, there’s two,” Renjun whispered, crouching down to let the cat sniff at his fingers and nearly weeping when it shoved its head into his palm for pets. “Hi, baby, hi. You’re a pretty cat, aren’t you? Oh yes, you are. Prettiest baby in the world.”</p><p>The orange cat leapt gracefully from its spot on the table and Renjun reached for it with his other hand. After a moment, he determined that the tuxedo cat was a boy and the orange cat was a girl.</p><p>“I see you’ve met Ginger and Snaps.” Renjun looked up to see a boy around his age carrying a box of books, presumably an employee. He was almost intimidatingly handsome, with puppy eyes and a strong jawline, but when he smiled and his eyes curved into crescents, Renjun found himself relaxing.</p><p>“They’re so sweet,” Renjun said, now seated fully on the floor as the orange cat crawled into his lap. “Are they yours?”</p><p>“They belong to the store,” the employee said, shifting the box onto one hip. Renjun eyed his bulging arm muscles appreciatively before turning back to the cat.</p><p>“Oh my god, Mark look at this,” he heard Donghyuck say, and when he looked up again Mark and Donghyuck were standing behind the employee, each holding a small stack of books. “Oh, hello. You work here?”</p><p>“Yeah! My family owns this place,” the employee said, stepping towards the shelves in order to turn face them. “Do you guys go to school around here?”</p><p>“We go to HVHS,” Donghyuck said. “What about you?”</p><p>“I go to North Shore, but I’m actually transferring to HVHS second semester because of the district changes.”</p><p>Donghyuck grimaced. “Damn, really? That’s ass, bro. But hey, HVHS is <em>way </em>better than North Shore.”</p><p>“It’s not a great school,” the boy agreed. North Shore was probably the most racist high school in the city, and the reason why Renjun’s parents had him going to Heather View. They had heard rumours of discriminatory teachers and students. One time at a volleyball match, some of the members of the North Shore team had told Donghyuck and Renjun to go back to their country. It wasn’t a great experience, and because no one else had heard, there was nothing they could do about it. “But hey, at least I’m transferring this year and not in my senior year. I’ll have some time to make friends, at least.”</p><p>“Oh, you’re in our year!” Donghyuck said, gesturing between him and Renjun excitedly. “I’m Donghyuck, and this is Renjun. Mark here is a senior.” He pinched Mark’s side, giggling when Mark slapped his hand away with a scowl. “Now you have some friends.”</p><p>“I’m Jeno,” the boy replied, and he honest to god held his hand out for Donghyuck to shake.</p><p>“That’s it, we’re adopting you,” Donghyuck declared, eagerly shaking Jeno’s hand. “Us diasporic Asians gotta stick together, you know?”</p><p>“Hell yeah.” Renjun said from the floor.</p><p>Jeno giggled, then spotted the books in Mark and Donghyuck’s hands. “Oh, are you guys ready to check out?”</p><p>“Yeah, I think we have everything we need,” Mark said.</p><p>“Help?” Renjun asked with pleading eyes, gesturing to the cats sprawled over his legs. Jeno laughed, stooping down to pick up the tuxedo cat.</p><p>“Snaps likes Renjun a lot, doesn’t he?” Jeno cooed, placing the cat on the table before reaching for the orange cat. Ginger dug her claws into Renjun’s jeans, not wanting to let go. Jeno tutted, gently unhooking her claws and putting her beside Snaps. “And so does Ginger, apparently.”</p><p>“Are you secretly a Disney princess, Injunnie?” Donghyuck asked as Mark helped Renjun off the floor.</p><p>“Shut up,” Renjun said with a glare, following Jeno to the front counter so he could ring up their purchases.</p><p>“Are you paying together or separate?” Jeno asked.</p><p>“Separate,” Donghyuck said at the same time Mark said, “together”. Before Donghyuck could protest, Mark hip checked him out of the way, nearly sending him flying as he passed a twenty to Jeno.</p><p>“Hey, no, don’t take his money,” Donghyuck said, but Jeno was already placing the bill in the cash register, a sheepish grin on his face as he gave Mark his change.</p><p>Mark smirked. “Sorry, you were too slow.”</p><p>“I’ll kill you,” Donghyuck bit back.</p><p>“Now you know how I feel,” Renjun said with a sigh. Jeno just laughed at them, quickly bagging Mark and Donghyuck’s books in separate paper bags and passing them over. “It was nice meeting you, Jeno.”</p><p>“Nice meeting you too. I’m not so scared of transferring, now.” Jeno waved at them with both hands, and they left the shop together. Donghyuck was already on his phone, and just as they reached the car, he shoved the screen in Renjun’s face,</p><p>“Look, I found him on Instagram,” Donghyuck said.</p><p>“Let me see.” Renjun tugged his phone out of his hands and sure enough, Jeno’s smiling face beamed up at him from the screen. “How did you find him so fast?”</p><p>“I’m better than the FBI,” Donghyuck told him. Renjun rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Let me guess, you went to the North Shore Instagram page and found him in their follower list?” Mark asked.</p><p>Donghyuck pouted. “Don’t go revealing all my secrets like that. But yes and no. I went to their page but he was tagged in their most recent post. It seems like he’s <em>also </em>a volleyball player.”</p><p>“No way,” Renjun said, but sure enough when he scrolled down Jeno’s profile he found videos of him performing a jump serve. “And he’s <em>good. </em>How come we’ve never played him before?”</p><p>“He probably just joined this year,” Donghyuck said, taking his phone back. “Damn, he <em>is </em>good. And we’re gonna have him on our team next year.”</p><p>“A win for us.” Renjun unlocked the car, sliding behind the wheel. Mark and Donghyuck climbed in the back. “But that means we’re gonna play him this season.”</p><p>“Bring it on. We’ve got a practice match with <em>Whitelock. </em>Any other team pales in comparison,” Donghyuck said.</p><p>“I just can’t believe he’s on a team full of openly racist people,” Mark said, and when Renjun turned around, he looked troubled. “Like, the ball team is bad enough, but at least they’re -- no wait, what am I saying?”</p><p>“You were gonna say that at least their racism is just limited to gross jokes and nothing too hostile, right?” Donghyuck said. “I know, I’ve started thinking like that, too. It’s hard not to.”</p><p>Mark sighed and buried his face in his hands. “I was just gonna say that it’s, like, only a small group of kids at our school that are like that, and at least they’re not violent, but… none of it is acceptable. All of it is equally bad, and yet I was basically counting my blessings. Like, they’re racist, but at least they’re not <em>too </em>racist. What is wrong with me?”</p><p>“Hey,” Donghyuck said while Renjun began climbing over the console into the backseat. “There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s not your fault that you’ve been conditioned to think like this. We all have been. If you can acknowledge that your thinking is wrong, then you’ve already begun unlearning what you’ve been taught. It doesn’t help that it’s so normalized here.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Mark said, still not taking his face away from his hands. Renjun squeezed next to him in the backseat, rubbing his arm in an attempt to comfort him. “I feel like I’ve ruined our date.”</p><p>“It’s not ruined,” Renjun assured him, “and besides, perfect first dates are overrated.”</p><p>“I personally think this was a great bonding experience,” Donghyuck said, clearly trying his best to sound upbeat. “But all this talk about normalized racism has made me really hungry. Wanna get dinner now?”</p><p>“Sure,” Mark said with a watery laugh, finally pulling his hands away. “Where are we going?”</p><p>“It’s a surprise,” Renjun said, patting Mark’s arm one last time before climbing back into the driver’s seat, nearly smacking his head on the ceiling. “Why didn’t I go out the door?”</p><p>“Because you’re an idiot,” Donghyuck said from where he was leaning comfortably on Mark, head on his shoulder. To his credit, Mark looked unfazed, his phone in his hand as they watched something together. Renjun sighed and wished Donghyuck could drive so <em>he </em>could sit in the backseat with Mark, but Donghyuck had no interest in spending hundreds of dollars to get his license.</p><p>“Smarter than you,” Renjun retorted childishly, buckling in his seatbelt. A few seconds later, he was pulling out of their parking space, and they were on their way. “Anyway, Mark, you’re in for a real treat. I’m taking you to one of my <em>favorite </em>restaurants in the whole city.”</p><p>“Renjun’s a total foodie,” Donghyuck said, acting long-suffering. “He knows all the best spots because he tries out every single place in town, and he drags me to all of them.”</p><p>“I don’t go out that much,” Mark said. “I hate going places alone.”</p><p>“Why not go with your friends?” Renjun asked curiously.</p><p>“I try,” Mark deadpanned. “But they don’t really invite me.”</p><p>Renjun could practically see Donghyuck’s frown, even without looking. “Your friends are stupid,” Donghyuck said, “hang out with us now. We’ll show you all the best spots. This is a permanent invitation, you are always invited to go out with us.”</p><p>“If you want to,” Renjun added. “No pressure.”</p><p>“I don’t feel pressured, I like spending time with you.”</p><p>And <em>oh, </em>Renjun’s <em>heart. </em>How could Mark just drop that line so casually? Did he not realize what he was doing? Apparently not, because he spoke so nonchalantly, like it didn’t affect Renjun at all.</p><p><em>I like him so much already, </em>Renjun thought as Mark and Donghyuck burst into laughter in the backseat at whatever they were watching. <em>God, I really like him. </em></p><p>
  <em>I hope we don’t fuck this up.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>🏐</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They took Mark to their favourite Asian fusion restaurant. It was owned by Sicheng’s boyfriend’s parents. Kun was away for school, and he only came home for the holidays, but his parents always treated Renjun and Donghyuck like family.</p><p>It was quite possibly one of the only authentic Chinese places in town — though they had expanded their menu to contain dishes from many other countries by popular demand.</p><p>Renjun went to go talk to Kun’s parents while Mark and Donghyuck got them a table. Donghyuck began explaining his favourite dishes on the menu, and Mark listened attentively. He really liked how Mark did that — paid attention, like Donghyuck was worth listening to. It might have been the bare minimum, but it meant a lot to Donghyuck.</p><p>“Sorry, am I talking too much?” Donghyuck asked when he was finished and slightly breathless from all that rambling.</p><p>“No!” Mark said quickly. “You’re fine, I’m actually grateful. I think I have an idea of what I want to order now.”</p><p>“I usually just let Renjun order,” Donghyuck admitted. “He always knows what’s good, no matter where we go.”</p><p>“You guys seem to know each other inside and out,” Mark said, “you must spend a lot of time together?”</p><p>“Yeah, we do,” Donghyuck said, fidgeting with his sleeve. “You probably guessed, but my home life isn’t too great, so I usually spend my days with Renjun and his family. We’ve only been together for about two years now, but since we spend so much time with each other, it’s kinda like I know him inside and out, you know? I, um, I hope that isn’t a turn off for you…”</p><p>Mark ran a hand through his hair, and Donghyuck spent a long time staring at the way his bangs fell across his face, the product wearing off after over six hours together. “I have to be honest. The fact that you two know each other so much better than you know me, or I know you, makes me kind of wary. I feel a little bit like I’m diving into an abyss, you know? Everything is unfamiliar to me.”</p><p>Donghyuck nodded, his heart sinking.</p><p>“But,” Mark continued, “I think that… I think that there’s no point in life if we always stick to what we know and what is familiar. The world is full of possibilities, and this is just one of them, right? I think I’d rather take the risk. Who knows what I would miss out if I didn’t try?”</p><p>Mark suddenly reached forward and took Donghyuck’s hand, once resting on the table. “I really, sincerely think we have something good here, or at least we can make something good, if we try. It’ll be a lot of effort, but what relationships aren’t, right?”</p><p>“Right,” Donghyuck said awkwardly, his throat clogged. “I…I don’t know if you believe me but I’m scared, too. I know that maybe the risks aren’t as high? Or, like, as great for me as they are for you. But, Mark, I really like you. I know that at the beginning, I wasn’t so kind. I judged you, and for that, I’m sorry. But now that I’ve gotten to know you, I really do like you.”</p><p>“So let’s dive in,” Mark said with a little laugh that warmed Donghyuck’s heart. “Or, I guess dive is maybe too fast. Wade? We’ll wade in. Like when you use the stairs to enter a pool. I sounded so smart earlier and now I’m exposing myself for the true idiot I am.”</p><p>Donghyuck laughed. “I think you’re very smart, though.”</p><p>“Aha, I’m not, really.” Mark pulled his hand back to scratch his neck sheepishly. “I mean, it’s not like I’m the smartest kid in my grade like you.”</p><p>“Am I?” Donghyuck blinked. “Well, grades aren’t really an accurate way to determine intelligence. Like, there are a lot of things they don’t teach in school. And everyone learns differently, but in school, they’re all expected to learn the same way. Academics are just a small fraction of the factors that determine your intelligence.”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right,” Mark said quietly, but he didn’t look convinced. Donghyuck opened his mouth to continue, but Renjun appeared, sliding into the chair next to Mark’s with a happy sigh.</p><p>“I love Kun’s parents so much,” Renjun said dreamily. “I almost want them to adopt me. Except I would never want to be Qian Kun’s little brother.”</p><p>“Why not?” Mark asked curiously, and just like that, the initial conversation was derailed. Donghyuck mentally filed it away for later -- he needed to convince Mark that he was Smart and Academics Don’t Mean Shit In The Grand Scheme Of Things.</p><p>“Kun is, like, the definition of a prodigy child,” Donghyuck explained. “He’s good at <em>everything. </em>Renjun’s parents compare us to him all the time, now imagine actually being related to him.”</p><p>“Sicheng, my cousin, makes it bad enough. He goes to one of the best schools in the country. I hear my mom talking shit about me all the time to my auntie,” Renjun joked.</p><p>“Is it really that bad?” Mark asked, and Donghyuck remembered he was an only child.</p><p>“It’s not… the worst. I mean it sucks to be compared but at least my parents recognize my achievements as my own. In some ways, it’s motivating. But all I know is that when I have kids, I’m never gonna compare them to anyone else. I only want them to compete with themselves.”</p><p>“Competing with themselves?”</p><p>“Like, their past achievements,” Renjun elaborated. “You know, if they had an eighty five average one year, I’d want them to try their best to get an eighty six or higher. In the end it’s all about self-improvement.”</p><p>“You’re right,” Mark said, looking like Renjun had just told him the secrets of the universe. “What a great way to motivate yourself. I think I might try it your way, Renjun.”</p><p>“Renjun knows all,” Donghyuck said solemnly. “I do everything Renjun’s way. Except morning runs.”</p><p>“Oh I love morning runs!” Mark exclaimed, and Donghyuck groaned, though he went ignored. “I admit I don’t go on them as often as I should.”</p><p>“Hyuckie hates them,” Renjun said with a teasing grin. “For someone who doesn’t like sleep, he sure hates waking up in the morning. It takes me longer to convince him to join me than it does to run five kilometers.”</p><p>“I don’t like getting sweaty in the mornings,” Donghyuck defended himself.</p><p>“You never complain when we have morning practice!”</p><p>“That’s different! It’s <em>volleyball.</em>”</p><p>“It’s still exercise!”</p><p>“Yeah, but it’s actually <em>fun.</em>”</p><p>“Exercise is fun!”</p><p>“You think <em>math </em>is fun. You’re not qualified to talk about fun.”</p><p>“Math <em>is </em>fun,” Renjun retorted, and Donghyuck fake gagged, turning to Mark.</p><p>“Tell him he’s wrong!” Donghyuck demanded.</p><p>“Math isn’t really all that fun,” Mark agreed.</p><p>“Ha!” Donghyuck said triumphantly. He could tell Renjun wanted to argue more, but a waiter came by to take their order, and Renjun was so embarrassed that they weren’t ready yet that he forgot about the argument, scribbling down the names and numbers of dishes he knew by heart on the order slip and passing it to the waiter with an apologetic smile.</p><p>“This is so embarrassing,” Renjun whined when the waiter left.</p><p>“I find it interesting how Gen Z would rather die than inconvenience serving staff,” Donghyuck remarked.</p><p>“Right? I mean sure there are bad apples, but for the most part we all know what it’s like,” Renjun said, pouring each of them a cup of tea from the pot the waiter had brought. Donghyuck let the tea warm his hands, blowing at the surface to cool it down before taking a sip. It still scorched his tongue, but it was a familiar feeling. Renjun, smart as he was, waited for his to cool before drinking, and Mark didn’t touch his tea at all.</p><p>“You don’t like tea?” Donghyuck asked once there was a lull in the conversation.</p><p>Mark shook his head. “I’m not a fan of bitter things.”</p><p>“So you don’t like Donghyuck?” Renjun joked.</p><p>“What? Of course I do!” Mark seemed affronted, missing the joke completely. But it was cute, that Mark got so defensive.</p><p>“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Renjun soothed. “I like Donghyuckie too, no matter how bitter he is.”</p><p>“Hey,” Donghyuck said, narrowing his eyes. Renjun just grinned wolfishly at him. Donghyuck picked up his butter knife and wielded it like a sword. “En garde, Injunnie.”</p><p>Renjun pretended to faint like a damsel in distress, falling against the back of the booth dramatically with his hand to his forehead. “No, Mark, save me!”</p><p>Mark gave him an amused grin before picking up his own butter knife, twirling it between his fingers like a parlour trick before pointing it at Donghyuck. Impressed, Donghyuck conceded defeat.</p><p>“My savior,” Renjun cooed with a fake swoon, latching onto Mark’s arm as he put his knife down. “Where’d you learn to do fancy tricks like that?”</p><p>“Huh? I dunno, I learned it with markers and stuff, a knife isn’t that different.”</p><p>“That’s hot,” Donghyuck said, wiggling his eyebrows and laughing when Mark turned pink. “Aw, no need to get embarrassed.”</p><p>“Shut up,” Mark muttered, though his blush darkened and he wouldn’t look Donghyuck in the eyes.</p><p>“Move your cups,” Renjun instructed just as their waiter appeared with a tray piled high with their food, ordered without input from Mark or Donghyuck. It all looked delicious, though, as Renjun helped the waiter arrange the dishes on the table. He had gotten a big plate of seafood fried rice, three baskets of xiaolongbao, and some kind of beef dish that Donghyuck didn’t recognize.</p><p>Renjun makes quick work of the beef, slicing it into pieces and giving each of them an equal portion, taking charge like he always did. Donghyuck poured them all water from the pitcher on the table, and Mark took out chopsticks and napkins from the dispensers for all of them.</p><p>“Here, try this,” Renjun said, placing a dumpling on Mark’s plate. “It has meat in it.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Mark said, oddly polite. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head low, mouthing to himself before he picked up the food with his chopsticks. Donghyuck scooped rice onto his own plate, stealing most of the gailan and shrimp. “Oh, this is good!”</p><p>Endeared, Donghyuck rested his chin in one hand, elbow propped on the table, watching as Mark ate. Somehow, seeing Mark eat well was more satisfying than eating himself. He got excited over how good everything tasted, and complimented Renjun on his choices more than once.</p><p>“How did you guys find this place?” Mark asked, pausing to take a long sip of water.</p><p>“Well, remember the cousin I told you about? Yeah, his boyfriend’s family owns this place. I’ve been coming here ever since I moved here, and I took Donghyuck here for our first date, too.”</p><p>“Did you really?”</p><p>Donghyuck nodded. “Yeah, and Sicheng, Renjun’s cousin, was sitting right behind us, wearing a really obvious disguise. Like a fake moustache and everything.”</p><p>“It was embarrassing.”</p><p>“It was <em>sweet,</em>” Donghyuck insisted. “When Renjun went to the bathroom he tried threatening me, but he had these super cute sweater paws, and his cheeks looked so squishy. I couldn’t take him seriously.”</p><p>“He sounds cool,” Mark said. “I’m not really close with any of my cousins.”</p><p>“Neither am I,” Donghyuck said sympathetically. He didn’t even really know anything about his cousins. He just knew he had some, somewhere. If Donghyun hadn’t stepped up to take care of him, Donghyuck would have been sent back to Korea to live with his aunt and uncle. He still had nightmares of getting shipped off to live with near strangers.</p><p>“Sicheng <em>is </em>cool. But don’t ever tell him I said that,” Renjun said, placing the last dumpling on Mark’s plate. Mark looked like he was going to protest, but Donghyuck quickly shook his head, lifting his arms to form an ‘X’. Renjun was always determined to feed everyone around him, and denying him would make him intolerably sulky for the rest of the night. “Do you guys want dessert?”</p><p>“Haha, no thanks, if I eat another bite I think I might explode,” Mark said, exaggeratedly clutching at his stomach.</p><p>“I’m good, too. Do you want anything?” Donghyuck asked.</p><p>Renjun shook his head. “Nah, I’m all set. Let me get the bill.”</p><p>And before they could protest he had already shot out of his seat, making his way to the counter to pay for their food. Donghyuck debated chasing after him, but Renjun was ridiculously fast, so he just sighed, stacking all the plates and cups together. Mark wiped the table with a napkin, collecting all the spilled rice and twisting the ends into a little package to be thrown away.</p><p>“Thanks for taking me here,” Mark said softly. “I know this place is special to you and Renjun.”</p><p>“Now it’s special for all three of us,” Donghyuck replied. “Our very first date. I hope we lived up to your expectations.”</p><p>“I never had any,” Mark said, “but if I did, I’d say you blew them right out of the water.”</p><p>“I’m glad,” Donghyuck enthused, grabbing Mark’s hands. “Me and Renjun, we were… we were so nervous. We wanted this to be good for you, so we spent a lot of time planning it.”</p><p>“It was good,” Mark assured him. “I had a lot of fun.”</p><p>“I brought candy,” Renjun sang, dumping a handful on the table. Donghyuck lit up the sight of the familiar shiny green wrappers, immediately stuffing some in his pockets for later before unwrapping one and popping it in his mouth. “Shall we head out?”</p><p>“Anything else planned for today?” Mark asked as they got up, and though he sounded like he was joking, Donghyuck still felt nervous.</p><p>“That was all. Why, was there anything else you wanted to do?” He asked, nearly tripping over an untucked chair because he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going.</p><p>“No! No, I mean, not that I’m opposed to spending more time with you guys, but you’ve already done enough,” Mark said quickly.</p><p>“It is getting late,” Renjun said thoughtfully as he pulled the door open. Donghyuck stepped into the cold air, relishing in the feeling of the wind on his face. “Maybe we should go home.”</p><p>Donghyuck pouted. “Don’t wanna.”</p><p>“We can hang out tomorrow,” Mark offered.</p><p>“Yes,” Donghyuck said immediately.</p><p>“I’m grounded,” Renjun said with a sigh. “The only exception was going out today.”</p><p>“Damn, I forgot,” Donghyuck said.</p><p>“Let’s rain check for when you’re ungrounded then? The three of us,” Mark suggested. “This time it’ll be my turn to plan the date.”</p><p>“Deal,” Renjun and Donghyuck agreed in unison, looking at each other before bursting into laughter. Mark joined, hanging off of Renjun’s arm as he laughed so hard his face scrunched up adorably.</p><p>“Okay,” Renjun said once they had stopped laughing. “We’ll drive you home, Mark. And hey, we have the practice match with Whitelock on Monday, so it won’t be too long until the three of us are together again.”</p><p>“Sounds like a plan,” Mark said sweetly, and Donghyuck was tempted to grab his face and kiss him. He settled for pressing up against Mark’s side in the backseat of Renjun’s parents’ car, resting his head on Mark’s shoulder. Renjun turned on the radio, and they sang along loudly to Taylor Swift on the way to Mark’s house.</p><p>It was the perfect end to the perfect date.</p><p>When Renjun pulled into Mark’s driveway, Donghyuck felt almost disappointed. He was tempted to tell Renjun to go around the block one more time, but there was no point in delaying the inevitable. He just really didn’t want to say goodbye.</p><p>They walked Mark to his door, and before Mark could get a word out, Renjun grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and tugged him in for a kiss. Donghyuck watched for a moment, admiring how good they looked together. A part of him wanted to take a picture, but instead he focused on searing the image of them in his mind before he pulled Mark away from Renjun and gave him a kiss of his own.</p><p>Mark clutched at his shoulders, fingers scrabbling for purchase, and Donghyuck pulled him in tighter, crushing Mark against his body as he tugged on his lower lip with his teeth. Renjun wrapped around Mark’s back, pressing a light kiss to the junction of Mark’s shoulder before they both stepped away. Mark blinked at them, looking sweetly dazed in the porch light.</p><p>“Goodnight Mark,” Renjun said, stepping off the porch.</p><p>Donghyuck couldn’t help himself, and reeled Mark in for another kiss. He wanted to remember everything about this night. He had lied earlier; <em>this </em>was the perfect end to their date.</p><p>“Goodbye, Mark,” he breathed against Mark’s lips before hopping down the porch steps and joining Renjun at the front of the car. He waved at Mark, smiling when he saw him struggle to get his keys out and unlock his door. They waited until Mark had gone inside before Renjun backed out of his driveway.</p><p>“Did you have a good time?” Renjun asked, reaching for Donghyuck’s hand across the console. Donghyuck hated when Renjun drove one handed, but he also was craving physical affection, so he let it slide just this once.</p><p>“The best,” Donghyuck said in reply.</p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mark watched the volleyball team warm up, in awe of the fluid, synchronized way they moved as they ran laps and performed dynamic stretches before moving into spiking, serving, and receiving drills. Whitelock wasn't here yet, but Mark was still nervously running around, making sure the water dispenser was full. He kept track of all the missed serves for each player during the warm up on his trusty clipboard. For every serve that failed to land successfully on the other side of the court, the whole team had to do a diving lap around the gym. It was brutal. The HVHS volleyball team had more discipline than Mark could ever dream of.</p><p>He usually watched Renjun during warm ups, but today he couldn’t take his eyes off of Donghyuck. There was something about the anticipation of the match that had Donghyuck on fire. His sets were perfect every time, and he always adjusted to the player, rather than having the player adjust to his sets. He somehow knew what set was best for each person. They were going to be running a 5-1 offensive system rather than their usual 6-2.</p><p>A 5-1 system meant Donghyuck was going to be the only setter on court. They had Nikolai and Alexander as the middle blockers, Joshua and Jisung as the outside hitters, and Hunni as the opposite. And of course, Renjun was going to be in the warm up box, waiting to sub in for Alexander.</p><p>“Your first match as manager,” Coach Ferres said, patting Mark on the back. “You’re doing well, so far.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Mark said, bowing his head lightly as he marked another successful spike for Jisung. One of Mark’s favorite things about the volleyball team cheered for every single member after they completed a spike. He could only dream about having a team so supportive and caring. On the basketball team, it was like every man for himself. “They’re a really good team. Do you think they have a shot at winning?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” the coach said honestly. “Whitelock are an amazing team, but these kids have a tendency to surprise me. Either way, it’ll be a good learning experience.”</p><p>“I’m nervous,” Mark said, “but I’m also really excited.”</p><p>He was about to say more but he spotted Johnny barreling through the gym doors, and he immediately charged down the bleachers, running over to engulf his friend in a hug. Johnny lit up when he saw Mark, patting him roughly on the back.</p><p>“Look at you, Marky, you got taller!” Johnny said with an obnoxious squeal. Mark rolled his eyes, but allowed Johnny to poke and prod at his cheeks even though the rest of his team was waiting in the hall. And holy shit, they were <em>tall, </em>either Johnny’s height or taller, except for three members. One was presumably the libero due to the different colored jersey, and Mark guessed that the other two were setters. Mark glanced back at the team where Renjun, Donghyuck, and Hunni were all below 175 cm, and wondered if they would be alright.</p><p>“I’m here to show you where the locker room is so you can put your stuff away,” Mark said, stepping aside and clutching his clipboard to his chest as the Whitelock team spilled into the gymnasium.</p><p>“Lead the way Manager Mark,” Johnny said, giving him a salute. Mark rolled his eyes again, but he led them to the locker room and helped them put away their things, catching up with Johnny on how he had been.</p><p>“Okay, I better head back out there,” Mark said after a few minutes. “There are fountains just outside every door if you need to fill your bottles!”</p><p>“Thanks, Mark!” Johnny called, unabashedly pulling his shirt off. Mark grimaced even though Johnny was wearing an undershirt, rushing into the gym and claiming his spot on the bleachers. It was a closed practice match, which meant no spectators, but he wished he had someone to talk to while he watched. Instead, he drummed his fingers nervously on his thigh as Whitelock began warming up. And damn, they were <em>good. </em>Mark felt chills running down his spine when he caught Johnny leaping up in the air for a spike and slamming the ball down to the ground on the other side of the court. The ball flew through the air, ricocheting off the top of the opposite wall. Mark’s jaw dropped.</p><p>To their credit, the HVHS team didn’t look intimidated. They just continued performing drills at the back of the court, then ran off to their designated bench when Whitelock began their serves. Mark watched as they formed a huddle around the coach and for a moment, he wished he was there too.</p><p>But he was just the manager.</p><p>He took out his notebook, preparing to keep track of the game, then waited in anticipation for it to start. He always wrote down an analysis of every practice match, even if it was just between the HVHS players, and the coach had said his data was useful for creating training regimens. Mark just thought it was cool to see the game quantified in numbers and diagrams.</p><p>He quickly sketched out the starting positions; HVHS were receiving, and Whitelock were serving. The supervisor was ready to keep score, so all Mark had to do was watch. Renjun was immediately subbed for Alexander, and Donghyuck was in position two near the front of the net. The coach from Whitelock was up on the ladder as the ref of the game, and once he blew the whistle, the match began.</p><p>The setter on Whitelock, #2, didn’t hesitate to begin with a powerful jump serve, and it was so fast that Mark practically saw a blur, but Renjun was there to receive it. The ball smacked into his arms, and though he had dropped his hips low and brought his arms down slightly to cushion the impact, it still ricocheted with a loud <em>smack! </em>and flew back over the net.</p><p>“Shit,” Mark said aloud, watching as the other team easily received it. The ball went up to the setter, and before Mark could even blink the ball was slammed down onto HVHS’s side of the court by the one and only Johnny Suh.</p><p>“Sorry,” he heard Renjun say.</p><p>“Don’t mind it,” Donghyuck replied, returning to his original position along with the rest of the team. Whitelock delivered another perfect serve, but this time Renjun was ready, sending it right to where it needed to be. Donghyuck set the ball to Joshua, who performed a wipe by spiking it off the fingers of the outside hitter on the opposite team. The ball landed outside the court, making it HVHS’s point. Mark quickly jotted it down into his notebook, then chewed anxiously at his pen. It was Donghyuck’s turn to serve.</p><p>Donghyuck’s face was blank as he spun the ball in his hand, waiting for the whistle. Mark jiggled his leg as Donghyuck tossed the ball up, his footwork rapid as he leapt into the air and swung his arm, landing just inside the court. He didn’t even hesitate as he ran to his position near the front of the net, his other teammates already positioned for the return. The ball wobbled in the air, and dropped suddenly. Whitelock’s receive was off, but the second setter, #4 was able to get under it. Mark was expecting him to set it to the outside hitter calling for the ball, but the setter suddenly tapped it over the net. HVHS clearly weren’t expecting it, and they had all moved back to receive the spike.</p><p>A burst of movement came from the back of the court and Renjun slid across the ground on his chest, his hand slipping under the ball just before it touched, popping it up into the air. Mark’s eyes widened as Donghyuck jumped <em>over </em>Renjun’s body to set the ball to Joshua, who successfully managed to find an opening, scoring them another point.</p><p>Mark was practically on the edge of his seat for the entirety of the first set, constantly forgetting to write things down in favor of staring. It was basically the match of his dreams -- long rallies, insane spikes, powerful serves, impressive receives, and of course, beautiful sets from Donghyuck. Mark found himself cheering until his throat hurt, because even though HVHS lost, it was only by six points. Against a <em>university </em>team.</p><p>For the second set, they decided to mix up their players until both sides had three blue-and-white players (Whitelock) and three black-and-red players (HVHS). Renjun ended up on Johnny’s team as the libero, opposite Donghyuck and Whitelock’s libero. Though this set wasn’t as exciting as the last, since they kept pausing for Whitelock players to help HVHS with their skills, it was still enjoyable for Mark to watch. He cheered for both sides, but in the end Renjun’s team won by one point.</p><p>Mark leapt down the bleachers, running over to Johnny who was still drinking water at his bench, though most of his team were still chatting to the HVHS players.</p><p>“Johnny, man, you were sick! I mean, I knew you were good, but I didn’t think you were <em>that </em>good. You’re like a total beast!” Mark gushed.</p><p>Johnny beamed when he lowered his water bottle, tugging Mark into a one-armed hug. He was barely sweating, and Mark wondered if Johnny had really tried his hardest during the match, or if he had gone easy on the high schoolers. He decided he wouldn’t mention it to Renjun and Donghyuck, who probably wouldn’t be happy about it. “Hey, thanks, Mark. Your team is pretty good, I definitely underestimated them. I’ll have to come watch them in the finals and recruit them for Whitelock.”</p><p>“That libero of yours is amazing,” one of the setters, #2, said. “I’ve never seen a high schooler play at his level.”</p><p>“He’s really good, isn’t he?” Mark said eagerly, beaming with pride. “I was shocked when I saw him in action for the first time.”</p><p>“I’m personally a fan of your setter,” Johnny commented. “I kinda wished I could have played with him on my team.”</p><p>“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Whitelock’s setter said with a pout. He was ridiculously good looking, with large eyes, sharp cheekbones, dark brows and a jawline that could cut glass.</p><p>“Nothing, Yongie, of course you’re the only setter for me,” Johnny said, wrapping his arm around #2’s shoulders.</p><p>“Ahem,” someone coughed, and they turned to find the other setter, #4, behind them. He was <em>also </em>good looking. Mark was surprised to find three Koreans on one volleyball team. Two was already hard to comprehend.</p><p>“And you too, of course,” Johnny said hurriedly. “Doyoung, I didn’t forget you.”</p><p>“Sure,” Doyoung said sarcastically, turning to #2. “Taeyong, hurry up and get changed so we can leave.”</p><p>“Coming,” Taeyong sang, and Mark watched them go.</p><p>“I better go, too,” Johnny said with a sigh. “But text me, okay? And swing by campus sometime, I’ll give you a tour.”</p><p>Mark didn’t mention how he probably wouldn’t be going to Whitelock. He didn’t have the grades, that was for sure. But he just nodded and let Johnny pull him in for another hug before he left for the locker room.</p><p>“Mark!”</p><p>He barely had time to turn around before an exhilarated Donghyuck was crashing into his arms. He stumbled back, but managed to keep them both upright, and Donghyuck laughed breathlessly in his ear.</p><p>“Did you see? That was the best I’ve ever played,” Donghyuck said.</p><p>“I saw!” Mark said, then waved his notebook. “I have it all written here. You didn’t miss a single serve.”</p><p>“I know,” Donghyuck replied, puffing up his chest. “Holy shit, that was so fun. I can’t believe I jumped <em>over </em>Renjun. I wasn’t even thinking -- I just did it! I wish I had it on video, agh.”</p><p>“Luckily, I recorded the whole match,” the coach said, holding up a camcorder that Mark hadn’t noticed he had. “Come here, I’ll show you the highlights.” The team immediately swarmed him, crowding around to look at the tiny screen of the camcorder. Donghyuck slipped away from Mark to push into the crowd, leaving him alone at the outer edge.</p><p>His side felt oddly cold as he stood there, listening to the team exclaim over something he couldn’t see. He waited for a few minutes, but they just kept watching the footage. Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair before returning to his spot on the bleachers.</p><p><em>Right</em>. He was just the manager.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>you wouldn't believe it but... it's gonna get bad before it gets better. sorry. </p><p>anyway, see you (hopefully) next sunday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Renjun and Donghyuck fuck up.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>ayoooo it's been a MINUTE hasn't it hahahahaha no wdym it's been two months you're lying</p><p> anyway i started school and also i am running a store in my free time so i have almost no time for writing boo but i promise i will not abandon this fic you have my word! i can't guarantee i can stick to my sunday posting schedule anymore but i will do my best to get chapters out when i can. </p><p> also please keep in mind that every chapter is like 10k so it's pretty hard to consistently upload chapters.</p><p> THAT BEING SAID thank you so much for your patience and i hope you enjoy this chapter.</p><p> </p><p> WARNINGS FOR: angst, character injury, mentions of racism/bullying, minor violence</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>🏐</p><p> </p><p>Donghyuck pressed a chaste kiss to Renjun’s mouth once they finished getting dressed, exiting the locker room to find Mark. If he was honest, he was a little nervous about how to interact with Mark properly. Sure, they had kissed on Saturday, but Donghyuck didn’t know if that meant he could kiss Mark now. And Mark had said they would go on more dates, but they hadn’t yet put a label on what they were yet.</p><p>“Don’t rush it, Hyuckie,” Renjun had said this morning. “These things take time.”</p><p>He sighed, spotting Mark still on the bleachers, scribbling something in his notebook. Mark was wearing an oversized, dark green hoodie that made him look small. His hair was down and he was wearing his glasses today. He looked really soft. Donghyuck hopped up the bleachers and sat down next to Mark, who pulled his notebook down to smile at him.</p><p>“Hey,” Mark said warmly.</p><p>“Hey,” Donghyuck replied. “Whatcha doin’ there?”</p><p>Mark showed Donghyuck his notebook. At the top of the page, “Training Camp” was written in bold lettering, and below it was the name of a place, three schools that Donghyuck had never heard of, and a header that said “Fundraiser” with nothing underneath it.</p><p>“I’m trying to get the volleyball team the opportunity to go to this interhigh camp with other schools. Apparently, these schools from different school boards all stay in the same area and train together for a weekend. I contacted the coaches from each team and they were all cool about HVHS tagging along. We just need to scrape together the funds.” Mark tapped his pen against the “Fundraiser” heading. “Since Halloween is coming up, we can do candy-grams, and then maybe a buy-in?”</p><p>“What’s a buy-in?” Donghyuck asked.</p><p>“It’s basically an event that you do during class time and students who’ve paid get to miss their classes and go to the event. Last year, the basketball team did one where we played against a bunch of teachers. We made a ton of money,” Mark explained.</p><p>Donghyuck softened. “You’re doing so much for our team.”</p><p>Mark shrugged. “It’s my job. Besides, you guys deserve equal opportunities. Even the football team has training camp, though theirs is a little different from ours.”</p><p>“It should be the school’s job,” Donghyuck sighed, but he smiled. “Thank you, though.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not a problem,” Mark said, “I’m happy to do it, really.”</p><p>“Hey,” Renjun greeted from the bottom of the bleachers, skipping up the steps to sit next to them. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“Mark’s trying to get our team to go to a training camp,” Donghyuck announced proudly, grinning when Mark’s cheeks turned red and he ducked his head. “Look, he’s thought of so many ideas, already.”</p><p>“Can I see?” Renjun asked, giving Mark his best puppy eyes. Mark groaned, covering his face with one hand while shoving his notebook in Renjun’s direction. Renjun accepted it gleefully, flipping through the pages and scanning the content faster than Donghyuck could. “Oh, wow, these are really good ideas. You’ve really got it all planned out, huh?”</p><p>“It’s no big deal,” Mark said immediately, flush spreading to his neck. “Anyway, you guys will have to do all the grunt work. I’m just the coordinator.”</p><p>“Okay, Mr. Coordinator,” Donghyuck teased, “Are you free to get milkshakes?”</p><p>Mark pretended to check his calendar. “Hmm, I think I could squeeze you in.”</p><p>“Awesome,” Donghyuck said with a laugh, standing up and helping Mark to his feet. They descended from the bleachers, Renjun at their heels as they discussed the practice match. Renjun kept getting adorably excited, and Donghyuck was tempted to just shove him against the lockers and kiss the hell out of him, but he managed to control himself. “There’s this really cool diner that opened up like three blocks from here. Let’s kick Renjun’s ass in Scrabble.”</p><p>Renjun snorted. “As if I’d let you beat me.”</p><p>They burst through the front doors, and Donghyuck spun around with a laugh, letting the cool breeze wash over him. He still felt heated from the match, and he knew his face was probably still red, but he felt happier than he had in a long time. He had learned so much from the match today, played really well, and had Mark and Renjun on either side of him. Today was a good day. He’d been having more of those lately.</p><p>“What do you want?” Renjun asked him once they were standing in front of the menu. “I’ll pay this time, I just got my allowance.”</p><p>Donghyuck wanted to protest, but one glare from Renjun had his words dying in his throat. “Um, maybe the Oreo?”</p><p>“Whoa, that looks really good,” Mark said, and Donghyuck gave into temptation, wrapping his arms around Mark from behind and hooking his chin over his shoulder as he read the menu. Mark was warm in his embrace, and he didn’t get shrugged off, so Donghyuck counted it as a win. “I don’t know what I want.”</p><p>“Maybe you should try the strawberry?” Donghyuck suggested. “They top it with whipped cream and pieces of shortcake.”</p><p>“Yeah, I think I’ll get that,” Mark said, tipping his head so it pressed against the side of Donghyuck’s briefly. “Thanks, Hyuck.”</p><p>God, Donghyuck liked him so much.</p><p>“Hi, can I get a large Oreo milkshake, a large strawberry shortcake milkshake, and a medium chocolate banana?” Renjun was already ordering at the counter, and Mark tried to move forward to pay. Donghyuck tightened his grip to prevent him from moving, giving him the slightest shake of the head. If Mark tried to pay Renjun would sulk for the rest of the evening.</p><p>“Your total is $16.78. Is that for here or to go?”</p><p>Renjun turned around. “Do you guys wanna stay here?”</p><p>Donghyuck was about to say no, but Mark nodded. “Yeah, I’d like to stay.”</p><p>“Me too,” Donghyuck agreed immediately, so Renjun told the cashier it was for here. She directed them to a table after Renjun paid, and they fell into their chairs with the Scrabble game box. “Ooh, they have Bananagrams, too.”</p><p>“Let’s just stick with Scrabble for now,” Renjun said, already setting up the board and handing out the letter holders. “I’m starting.”</p><p>“I’m next,” Mark said before Donghyuck could get a word out. He pouted but accepted his fate of going last as they began to play. Renjun put down ‘jukebox’ which got him seventy-seven points right off the bat. Donghyuck scowled and kicked him under the table. Renjun was stupidly good at Scrabble. “Hey, do you guys maybe wanna come to my basketball game next week? It’s the playoffs. Oh! But it’s an away game, I hope that’s okay.”</p><p>“That’s totally fine,” Donghyuck said distractedly as he leaned over to try and peek at Renjun’s letters. “We’ll be there.”</p><p>“Great, ‘cause I’m super nervous and I’d love if—“</p><p>“Hey, stop peeking at my letters!” Renjun hunched protectively over his holder and batted at Donghyuck who held his hands up and backed off. “Whose turn is it?”</p><p>“Oh, sorry,” Mark said, then put down ‘exactly’.</p><p>Donghyuck sighed. Of course Mark was good at Scrabble too. He wondered if there was anything Mark <em>wasn’t </em>good at. Volleyball, maybe, but with his natural athleticism, he could get better if he tried.</p><p>His throat went dry. Now <em>there </em>was a thought. He didn’t think Mark could get any more attractive but… the only thing better than a hot guy is a hot guy who can play volleyball. Donghyuck will force him to start playing.</p><p>They ended up losing quite spectacularly to Renjun, who had both of them beat by at least thirty points, but he looked so happy as he added up the scores that Donghyuck couldn’t even complain.</p><p>"Donghyuck! Renjun!"</p><p>The three of them looked up to see Jisung approaching them, and behind him was a familiar face -- Jeno from the bookstore.</p><p>"Jisungie!" Renjun greeted, sounding absolutely delighted. "And Jeno!"</p><p>Jisung paused in front of their table, giving Jeno a confused look before turning back to them. "How do you know Jeno-hyung?"</p><p>"We met at the shop," Jeno offered, eyes curving up behind his glasses. "I used to tutor Jisung back when he was in middle school."</p><p>"Cute," Donghyuck said with a grin. "Wanna sit with us?"</p><p>"Sure!" Jeno beamed. "We're just gonna go order and we'll be right back."</p><p>It was cute, how Jisung trailed after Jeno like a puppy. Donghyuck watched them for a moment longer before helping Renjun clear up their Scrabble game to make room for the others.</p><p>"Small world," Renjun commented.</p><p>Donghyuck nodded. "Feels like we're slowly building a network of Asians."</p><p>"The Asian pop at HVHS is pretty high, though. I'm glad I didn't go to a different school, if I'm honest. Even if it's a little out of the way. My middle school was, like, all white kids, and they used to make fun the lunches I brought to school," Renjun said, wrinkling his nose. "That's why my parents wanted me to be a Husky I guess."</p><p>"Well, hey," Donghyuck said, "if you haven't come to HVHS, you wouldn't have met me or Mark. So really, it must have been fate."</p><p>He was expecting Renjun's soft smile, but he wasn't expecting the blush on Mark's cheeks as he ducked his head down, clearly pleased. He was fucking adorable, honestly. Donghyuck found it hard to believe he was so adamant on disliking Mark before.</p><p>Jeno and Jisung returned with drinks and a huge platter of fries, which they plonked in the center of the table.</p><p>"Jeno bought fries for us to share!" Jisung said excitedly, and Donghyuck cheered while Mark got up to put the Scrabble board away. Renjun attempted to stick a fry up Donghyuck's nose, and Jisung laughed so hard he choked on the Oreo in his shake.</p><p>"Ah, jeez," Jeno said, patting Jisung on the back. "Be more careful."</p><p>"How long have you guys known each other?" Mark asked curiously.</p><p>"Like, five years?" Jisung said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Yeah, about five years."</p><p>Donghyuck softened. "That's so cute. We've only known Jisungie for two."</p><p>"He has a way of making you fall for him," Jeno cooed, reaching out to pinch Jisung's cheek. Jisung growled like a puppy and attempted to bat him away, failing miserably as Jeno squished his face. "So what's Jisung like as a middle blocker? He won't tell me anything."</p><p>"You're embarrassing me!" Jisung hissed, cheeks turning red. "Stop acting like my dad."</p><p>"I am your dad, I raised you," Jeno sniffed.</p><p>"He's a great middle blocker," Renjun gushed. "He learns so fast!"</p><p>"Heatherview's pride and joy," Donghyuck teased, and Jisung went even redder than he thought possible, crossing his arms and glaring at them until Jeno gave him the rest of his Reese's pieces milkshake as an apology.</p><p>"I better get going." The fries were finished and their milkshake glasses were empty by the time Mark pulled out his phone and blanched at the time. "I'm supposed to Skype my mom tonight and I have, like, three assignments due tomorrow."</p><p>"I still have to review for Calculus," Renjun said sadly, and they all decided it was time to go home. They cleaned up the table, throwing their garbage into the basket and pushing all the glasses together to make it easier to take away, and Mark went to go drop some change into the tips jar to make up for how long they stayed.</p><p>When they got outside, it was already dark, a clear indication that winter was coming. Donghyuck scowled at the wind that whipped at his face.</p><p>"Are you cold?" Renjun asked, and before Donghyuck could say anything, Renjun was pulling a scarf out of his bag and wrapping it around Donghyuck's neck. "Wanna sleep over?"</p><p>"Is it okay with your mom?"</p><p>"You know she never cares if you sleep over," Renjun said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, my bed is too big for one person."</p><p>"Your bed is tiny," Donghyuck complained. But he was pleased, as he always was when Renjun invited him over. He hated sleeping in his apartment alone, and he had to admit that he was happy that he was the exception to Renjun's punishment.</p><p>"We're gonna head this way," Renjun said, gesturing towards the bus stop.</p><p>"I can drive you home," Mark offered, and Donghyuck shook his head.</p><p>"Don't worry about it," Donghyuck replied. "We like taking the bus. Well, not really, but we listen to music together and it's actually pretty nice."</p><p>"Okay," Mark said easily, then, "yo, Sungie, want a ride home?"</p><p>"I'm actually taking the same bus," Jeno said to Donghyuck and Renjun, giving a cute smile that made Donghyuck want to pinch his cheeks. "Mind if I come with you guys?"</p><p>"Of course not!" Donghyuck said, waving goodbye to Mark who had Jisung on his back. "Come on, the bus usually comes by 7:45, so we gotta hurry."</p><p>"Okay," Jeno replied. "You and Renjun make a really cute couple, by the way."</p><p>"Thank you," Donghyuck said, unable to keep the smugness out of his voice as he grabbed Renjun's hand. He received an eye roll in return, but at least Renjun let him tangle their fingers together.</p><p>“So, um…” Jeno turned pink, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Your friend, Mark… is he, uh, seeing anyone right now?”</p><p>Donghyuck froze. “Uh, why?”</p><p>“Well you know…” Jeno’s face turned impossibly pinker. “He’s really cute, and he’s <em>so </em>good at ball. He’s, like, famous for his skills! And he’s so sweet, too. I just thought, maybe… we might be good together?” He buried his face in his hands, and Renjun and Donghyuck exchanged panicked glances.</p><p>The three of them weren’t dating. As much as Donghyuck wanted to, Mark had asked them to take it slow. Would it be crossing the line if they tried to lay claim to him? Would it be fair of them to tell Jeno that Mark wasn’t available when, technically, he was? And what if Mark didn’t want them telling anyone about them? It wasn’t like it was easy to be gay and polyamourous.</p><p>He glanced nervously at Renjun, who took the lead. “Uh, I’m pretty sure he’s seeing someone…”</p><p>“Oh, okay,” Jeno replied, taking his hands away from his face. “It’s alright, of course. I just thought, you know, he might be tired of third wheeling.” Jeno let out an embarrassed laugh. “Can we just forget this ever happened?”</p><p>Third wheeling? Is that what it looked like through an outsider’s perspective? Donghyuck bit down harshly on his lip, trying to prevent the anger from welling inside of him. There was no reason for him to get angry at Jeno, and yet somehow he felt so pissed off.</p><p><em>You’re jealous, </em>a little voice echoed in his head, and he clenched his fists. He hated feeling jealous, it made him sick with shame. His stomach churned, and he directed his gaze to the sidewalk so he wouldn’t glare at Jeno, who did nothing to deserve it.</p><p>“No worries, we won't tell Mark about your massive crush on him,” Renjun teased, knocking an elbow into Jeno’s side. Donghyuck wondered how he could do that so casually. Wasn’t he jealous too? Or was it only Donghyuck who was jealous for absolutely no reason.</p><p>“It’s not a crush,” Jeno whined. “I just think he’s good-looking.”</p><p>Donghyuck sighed inwardly. Emotions were so stupid. He hated feeling possessive and jealous because he knew it was toxic, but he couldn’t help the spike of irritation that he felt when Jeno spoke, then the guilt that churned in his stomach afterwards. Jeno was lovely. It was Donghyuck who was poison. Maybe Jeno would be a better fit for Mark than him.</p><p>“Donghyuck? Are you alright?” Renjun tugged a little on Donghyuck’s hand.</p><p>“Yeah,” Donghyuck replied, clearing his throat. “Yeah, I’m fine.”</p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Mark.”</p><p>Mark looked up from his shoes to see Felix approaching him, ball under his arm and hair pushed back with a Nike headband. “Oh, hey Felix.”</p><p>“Are you nervous?” Felix gave him a little half-grin, spinning the ball on his fingers.</p><p>“Not really,” Mark replied, grinning back. “Some very important people are coming today.”</p><p>“Ooh.” Felix wiggled his eyebrows. “Like a girlfriend? Or boyfriend?”</p><p>“Well, not <em>yet. </em>But I have a good feeling about it,” Mark replied, finishing with the laces of his shoes and standing up. The rest of his teammates were talking casually or shooting by themselves, and Mark almost wanted to roll his eyes. Did they not know how to warm-up on their own?</p><p>Felix clapped his hands. “Okay guys, let’s move through drill set #1, then we’ll do some shooting drills.”</p><p>It took a while to get everyone in motion, but finally they were shuffling around their half of the court in two laps, then swiftly moving into passing drills. Mark paused while waiting for his turn, eyes scanning the bleachers. He couldn’t spot <em>anyone </em>from their school, much less Renjun or Donghyuck. That was why he hated playing away games -- they never got any support. Even if there was rarely anyone who came for <em>him, </em>at least they usually came for the <em>team. </em>It was a little unnerving when nobody cheered for you.</p><p>The buzzer sounded, so they jogged over to the bench where the coach was waiting for them. He tried to listen to the game plan, but he kept sneaking glances at the bleachers. There were so many people packed shoulder to shoulder -- parents, students, even children -- but he couldn’t see Renjun or Donghyuck.</p><p>He quickly grabbed his phone out of his bag and fired a text off to Renjun.</p><p>
  <strong>to: renjun</strong>
</p><p>hey are you guys still coming to my game?</p><p>“Mark!”</p><p>Mark quickly shoved his phone into his bag, giving a sheepish grin to his coach before joining the team huddle to do their cheer before breaking apart. He adjusted the sweatband on his wrist nervously, making his way onto the court.</p><p>He scanned the stands desperately, and let out a sigh when he was disappointed once again. He was starting to get nervous.</p><p>
  <em>Where are they? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Is there a game today?” Renjun asked the gym teacher, who shook her head.</p><p>“There’s a basketball game tomorrow, if that’s what you mean.”</p><p>“Oh, okay, thank you!” Renjun wandered over to Donghyuck who was standing at the door. “We got the date wrong, the game is <em>tomorrow</em>.”</p><p>“Damn, we’re stupid,” Donghyuck said with a laugh. “But at least it doesn’t coincide with our date!”</p><p>“We better get going, then, or we’ll miss our reservation,” Renjun said, following Donghyuck through the hall and out the side door. “I like this shirt by the way.” Donghyuck was wearing a cute lilac sweater with ribbons criss-crossing up the sleeves.</p><p>“I bought it especially for today,” Donghyuck said happily, spinning it around to show off properly.</p><p>“Cute,” Renjun said, just to watch the pleased grin spread on Donghyuck’s face. “Okay, are we doing the phones now?”</p><p>“Yup,” Donghyuck replied, and they pulled out their phones from their pockets. Donghyuck powered his off first, and Renjun was about to do the same when his phone lit up with a text from Mark. He was technically breaking the rules, but he didn’t care as he opened up the conversation.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>from: mark</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>hey are you guys still coming to my game?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Is that Mark?” Donghyuck asked, trying to peer at Renjun’s phone. “Is he gonna be the exception to our rule?”</p><p>The rule being “absolutely no phones on dates” was one implemented by the both of them last year, so they could pay more attention to each other than their screens. They did it on every date so long as Renjun’s parents knew of their whereabouts, and it really worked for them.</p><p>“Well, if things go well, he’ll hopefully be on these dates <em>with </em>us,” Renjun replied, shooting off a confirmation text before turning his phone off. “Maybe we can take him out tomorrow after his game?”</p><p>“Aren’t you still grounded?” Donghyuck asked, and Renjun scowled.</p><p>“<em>No. </em>My punishment ended yesterday,” Renjun replied smugly. “And you better help me study for Calc when we get home.”</p><p>“Ah yes, calculus is the perfect way to end our anniversary date,” Donghyuck said sarcastically. “There’s nothing I love more than doing calculus with my boyfriend.”</p><p>“Good,” Renjun replied, pulling Donghyuck in and kissing his temple. “It’s a date, then.”</p><p>“We’re <em>on </em>a date,” Donghyuck pointed out, but Renjun just mumbled something about semantics as the bus rumbled to a stop in front of them. He paid for both of them, tucked their transfers in his pocket, and took Donghyuck’s hand as they sat at the very back of the bus. They shared earphones to listen to music from Renjun’s old MP3 player, and just quietly enjoyed each other’s company for the long bus ride.</p><p>“Hey,” Donghyuck said, tipping his head to rest on Renjun’s shoulder. “I love you.”</p><p>“Hmm, you’re being really cheesy today. Have you, perhaps, gone soft, Lee Donghyuck?”</p><p>“Oh, shut up,” Donghyuck scoffed, punching Renjun’s shoulder. “Just say you love me too, idiot.”</p><p>Renjun laughed delightedly. “I love you too. Even when you call me mean names.”</p><p>“Well, I wouldn’t if you didn’t <em>deserve it</em>,” Donghyuck hissed, but his angry facade didn’t hold up as he burst into giggles. “Dummy.”</p><p>“Hey now, don’t go too far,” Renjun joked, listing sideways until his head was resting atop Donghyuck’s. They were listening to their favorite IU songs, and the breeze from the windows was ruffling their hair, and the bus was quiet and mostly empty. It felt a little bit magical, and not for the first time, Renjun was so grateful to share moments like these in the comforting presence of his boyfriend.</p><p>“Our stop is coming up,” Donghyuck said after a few minutes, and Renjun looked up and realized Donghyuck was right. He pulled the cord to signal the bus driver and quickly wound up his earphones, pocketing his MP3 and hopping down the steps with Donghyuck as the bus slowed to a stop.</p><p>“Thank you!” They called in unison as they stepped off the bus, heading down the sidewalk to the restaurant where they had reservations. It was the fanciest restaurant they could find that was still within their budget, and Renjun was so excited. Dinner was a three course meal including dessert, which was one of those chocolate domes with ice cream inside. The foodie in Renjun was shrieking happily at the prospect.</p><p>Donghyuck took his hand, swinging their joined hands between them as they walked. “I’ve been reading this webtoon, and it’s about this upperclassman who helps out a junior struggling to adjust to college life, and it’s honestly so cute. The junior is, like, huge and scary looking but he’s actually a total softie.”</p><p>“That’s cute,” Renjun said, and though he didn’t really understand Donghyuck’s obsession with webtoons, he did like listening to him talk about them. “Do they get together?”</p><p>“Yeah, but it takes them <em>forever</em>,” Donghyuck complained. “Still, they’re really cute. I’m already caught up with the latest chapter so I just have to wait for the next one to be released.”</p><p>“Maybe you can find another webtoon to read,” Renjun suggested, “or a manga?”</p><p>“Maybe I’ll read Haikyuu, since you and Mark seem to like it so much.”</p><p>“Only if you’re interested, baby,” Renjun hummed.</p><p>Donghyuck scoffed. “It’s volleyball, how could I not be interested? Are there any characters like me?”</p><p>“Yup,” Renjun said, “there’s an annoying and egotistic setter.” He just barely managed to dodge Donghyuck’s fist as he cackled and ran down the street, Donghyuck tearing after him. By the time they got to the restaurant, their cheeks were red and their hair was windswept, but they were laughing.</p><p>They took a second to calm down and fix their appearances before walking into the restaurant, greeting the hostess who checked their reservations and then led them to a table, where they were quickly greeted by their waitress. Renjun ordered two Shirley Temples, not worried about the extra cost. His dad had been so excited about their second anniversary that he’d shoved a bunch of bills into Renjun’s hands and had even given Donghyuck some pocket money.</p><p>Not for the first time today, Renjun marveled at how lucky he was to have such loving parents. Sure, sometimes they could be a little strict, especially when it came to his grades, but they cared so much, and they loved Donghyuck almost as much as he did. He knew that some of their distant relatives looked down on them for having a gay son, but they didn’t care. Their love was unconditional. And though they had been confused, they were still supportive about Renjun and Donghyuck “courting” Mark, so to speak.</p><p>“Hey,” Donghyuck said when the waitress left, thumbing through the menu to look at appetizers. “What are you thinking about?”</p><p>“Just that we’re lucky to have our parents,” Renjun said.</p><p>“Our parents?” Donghyuck asked, but he looked pleased.</p><p>“Well, your in-laws,” Renjun replied.</p><p>Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “We’re too young to be thinking about marriage.”</p><p>Renjun pouted. “So you’re saying you don’t want to marry me?”</p><p>“In the future, yes, but not now,” Donghyuck said, kicking at Renjun’s ankle under the table. Renjun hid his smile behind the menu as he perused the menu himself. They ended up ordering crab cake poppers and stuffed mushrooms to share.</p><p>“Happy anniversary,” Renjun said, clinking their glasses together just as their food arrived, giving Donghyuck his widest smile.</p><p>Donghyuck grinned back. “Happy anniversary baby.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They were tied.</p><p>Mark was breathing hard, but the coach wasn’t planning to sub him off, so he just tried to catch his breath as the coach explained their new strategy, clutching onto his water bottle for dear life. His side was still smarting from where one of the opponents dug his elbow in, away from the eyes of the referee. His ankle stung where another guy scraped his shoe down the side, and Mark winced at the red patch that looked similar to floor burn.</p><p>He took another sip of water, staring at the whiteboard without really registering the coach’s words. He got the gist of it, though, so when the others went to drink more water, he looked into the bleachers for Renjun and Donghyuck once more. He quickly fumbled for his phone, pulling it out of his bag and pressing the home button to see Renjun’s reply to his text almost twenty minutes ago.</p><p>“Where are they?” He mumbled to himself.</p><p>“Hey, Mark.” Felix appeared at his side and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “Point out your friends to me! The ones you said are really important. I wanna meet them. Make sure they’re taking care of my co-captain.”</p><p>Mark laughed a little. “I’m not your co-captain.”</p><p>“Aren’t you though?” Felix shot back. “You’re, like, the only one here who actually takes the sport seriously. You’re more committed than I am. I’ve never met someone so dedicated.”</p><p>“Haha, thanks,” Mark replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Anyway, I think they’re not here yet? I can’t see them anywhere.”</p><p>“You better tell them to hurry up,” Felix replied, just as the coach called his name. “The game’s already half over!”</p><p>“I know,” Mark sighed, but Felix had already turned away, listening intently to the coach’s instructions. Mark put his phone back into his bag and searched the bleachers once more, his heart sinking. <em>Are they not coming? </em></p><p>“Mark!”</p><p>He turned around to see Jisung standing near the door with a camera in his hands. He hadn’t noticed him taking pictures, but maybe he had arrived sometime during the first half of the game.</p><p>His heart soared at the thought of at least one friend coming to cheer him on, even if they weren’t that close. “Hi Jisung! You’re taking pictures for the yearbook?”</p><p>“Yeah!” Jisung held up his camera with a grin. “I have to leave, though, I’m sorry I can’t stay for the full thing but my mom’s on her way to pick me up. I’m rooting for you, though!”</p><p>“Thanks!” Mark replied, glancing at the clock to see how much time he had left. “Hey, Jisung, would you happen to know where Renjun and Donghyuck are?”</p><p>“Uhh.” Jisung paused for a moment, then lit up. “Yeah! Today’s their second anniversary, so they went on a date to celebrate!”</p><p>Mark froze. <em>Oh.</em></p><p>“Mark, get out there!” The coach barked, and Mark startled when he realized the buzzer had already gone off, indicating the end of halftime. He said a quick goodbye to Jisung and hurried over, ignoring the ache in his chest. He adjusted the sweatband on his wrist once more and jogged out onto the court.</p><p>The third quarter passed by in a blur, and Mark could feel exhausting dredging at the corners of his mind. His legs were already aching from sprinting up and down the court, doing his best to keep up with the run-and-gun pace of the game. He had the highest stamina on the team, but he was already suffering the consequences of going too hard in the first half. He glanced at the scoreboard (54 - 52, they were in the lead by one basket), and when the point guard dribbled the ball up, he took the risk and stole it, tearing down the court at breakneck speed.</p><p>Unfortunately, the center and the power forward from the other team were right there with him, having anticipated the steal. He grit his teeth and went for a hook shot, but the ball slipped at the last second. Before he could even attempt the rebound, he was suddenly knocked painfully to the ground, crying out as his arm scraped along the floor.</p><p>“Look out!” Mark heard, but before he could roll to his feet, a heavy force landed on top of him. He choked when pain flared up his ankle, and suddenly it felt like his whole leg was on <em>fire. </em>He curled up on his side, hands gripping his shin as the situation dawned on him. The other team’s power forward had knocked him to the ground, and the center, who had jumped up for the rebound, landed on his ankle when he came down. He wondered if he heard a crack, or if he was just imagining things.</p><p>“Shit,” Mark whimpered, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He could hear people talking all around him, but his ears were ringing and the pain was too distracting. He felt hands grabbing his arms, helping him up, but as soon as he tried to put weight on his ankle, he went down again.</p><p>“Oh my god,” he heard one of his teammates say. “I think it’s broken!”</p><p>“Can someone call an ambulance?” The referee yelled, and Mark whipped his head around.</p><p>“No ambulance,” he protested, but his voice died out when another wave of pain wracked through him. He was lifted by his teammates and brought to the bench where they propped his ankle up on a chair. He cried out when someone removed his shoe and sock, though they tried to be as gentle as possible. His ankle was already swollen, slowly turning a deep purple-red. His arm still stung from the floor burn.</p><p>“Mark, here.” He looked up to see the coach arriving with a cold pack, placing it on his ankle. Mark hissed in pain, and tears rolled down his cheeks unwillingly. “The ambulance will be here in a couple minutes, and Mr. Stafford is gonna go with you.” He gestured to the supervisor who was hovering behind the bench. “We’re trying to get in touch with your mom right now.”</p><p>“She’s in Japan,” Mark said hoarsely. “You have to call my aunt.”</p><p>Mark’s aunt hated him. He wondered if she’d even pick up the phone. But there was no one else they could call -- she was his only alternative contact in the school records, and it wasn’t like they had any other family.</p><p>“Can you rotate your ankle? Can you move it, Mark?”</p><p>“No,” Mark replied, shaking his head. “Hurts.”</p><p>“Is it broken?” He heard Mr. Stafford ask.</p><p>“I don’t think so, but I think it may be fractured. That student wasn’t small.”</p><p>“The one who pushed him, he’s being ejected from the game?”</p><p><em>Fuck. </em>The game. This was the <em>playoffs. </em>If they didn’t win here, they were finished, and Mark wouldn’t be able to get scouted. Would it even matter if they won? How long would it take Mark to recover from this stupid injury? Would he even be able to play in the finals?</p><p>Tears welled up in his eyes again, but this time it wasn’t from the pain. He didn’t know what to feel except for devastation. His dreams of being scouted, of playing for a university team and making his mom proud, they were all going to be ruined just because of an aggressive player. He had worked <em>so hard, </em>and it was all for nothing.</p><p>“Mark, the ambulance is here. Mr. Stafford is going to be driving right behind you, and he’ll wait with you in the hospital until your aunt gets there.”</p><p><em>I have to ride in the ambulance alone? </em>Mark wanted to ask. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was scared. He was terrified of riding in the ambulance by himself, and to be in the hospital by himself. He was scared that the doctors were going to tell him he’d never be able to play again.</p><p>But he kept his mouth shut, even when his ankle was jostled as the paramedics helped him out the back door of the gym and into the ambulance. He kept his mouth shut when he realized no one had grabbed his bag and it was still in the gym with his phone, wallet, and keys. He was silent throughout the x-ray, only answering the questions that the technician had, and he was quiet when he was informed that his aunt was working an overnight shift and he couldn’t be discharged, so he would have to spend the night there by himself. He didn’t speak when the doctor told him that his ankle was fractured, and that it would take six to eight weeks at minimum to heal, which meant he was going to miss the rest of the season.</p><p>It was only when Mark was left alone for the night did he let himself cry, and this time he was glad that no one was around to see him.</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p>“That was so good!”</p><p>Donghyuck bounded out of the movie theatre, sighing when the cool night air rushed over his heated skin. He turned around to face Renjun, who was still clutching their half-eaten bag of popcorn. “You enjoyed it, right?”</p><p>Renjun smiled. “Of course I did! Though not as much as you, it seems.”</p><p>“Best movie ever,” Donghyuck declared, spinning around on one foot and spreading his arms out. “And this was the best date ever. Thank you so much.”</p><p>“You don’t have to thank me,” Renjun said with a laugh, intertwining their fingers once more as they walked to the bus stop. It was already late, but luckily there was a bus coming in about ten minutes. They were going to Donghyuck’s for the night, mostly because it was guaranteed to be empty.</p><p>The bus ride is peaceful at this time of night, and it doesn’t take that long to get to Donghyuck’s apartment, even though it’s a long walk from the bus stop to his place, it’s still enjoyable. They talk about the food they just ate and the movie they just watched. Renjun was more excited about the food, and Donghyuck clearly enjoyed the movie more, but it was the perfect balance to keep the conversation going.</p><p>“Donghyuck! Renjun!” They hear as soon as they walk into the lobby, and they find Jisung standing next to the mailboxes holding a stack of envelopes. “How was your date? Congrats on two years, by the way.”</p><p>“Thanks, little one,” Donghyuck said, though Jisung was taller than him now. “It was good! We ate a lot and saw that new zombie movie.”</p><p>“Oh, awesome!” Jisung said, and he sounded so genuinely happy for them that it made Donghyuck grin.</p><p>“Are you going to the basketball game tomorrow?” Renjun asked, and Jisung nodded.</p><p>“Yeah! I usually photograph the sports teams for the yearbook. Are you guys going too?” Renjun and Donghyuck nodded. “Wow, I didn’t know you were interested in basketball at all, much less the girls’ team. I mean, they’re really so fun to watch, but the boys’ team is more popular ‘cause they’re champs, you know?”</p><p>“Girls’ team?” Donghyuck repeated, and his heart sank. “Wait, I thought the boys were playing tomorrow?”</p><p>“No, they had an away game today! I heard they won, too. Our sports teams are doing really well this year, don’t you think?”</p><p>Donghyuck glanced at Renjun, who was frozen. <em>Fuck. </em>They missed Mark’s game even though he specifically asked them to come, and even sent them a text double checking, but they had misunderstood. He was probably so confused, or maybe hurt that they didn’t show.</p><p>“Yeah! Our teams are doing really well,” Donghyuck said. “Ah, we better get going now, Jisungie. See you tomorrow!”</p><p>He grabbed Renjun’s wrist and dragged him away, ignoring Jisung’s confused expression as they hopped onto the elevator. He felt bad when he realized Jisung was probably going to head up too, and would now have to wait for the elevator because they closed the doors on him.</p><p>“Shit,” Renjun breathed, looking at Donghyuck, his eyes wide.</p><p>“Shit,” Donghyuck repeated. “Text him right now?”</p><p>“Wait ‘til we get up, no service in the elevator,” Renjun said with a sigh. “Do you think he’s mad?”</p><p>“I don’t think he’ll be mad if we explain that we mixed up the dates,” Donghyuck pointed out just as the elevator stopped. He let Renjun go out first before following him into the hall. “It was an honest mistake.”</p><p>“We went on a date without him instead of going to his game, though,” Renjun said, “If it were us, I’d probably be really upset.”</p><p>“Well, it’s not like we would have gone even if we <em>didn’t </em>go on the date. We had no idea it was today. I don’t even know what school they played at,” Donghyuck said. “Maybe we should have paid more attention.”</p><p>“What’s done is done, there’s no point in dwelling on it,” Renjun said wisely. “Let’s just make it up to him tomorrow?”</p><p>“Sounds like a plan,” Donghyuck replied as he dug his keys out and unlocked the door, swinging it open. “I’m exhausted, I can’t wait to lie do--”</p><p>The apartment was a <em>mess. </em>The whole place was turned upside, empty beer cans and glass bottles laying among spilled chips and fallen pizza crusts. Donghyuck could do nothing but just stare in horror as two of Donghyun’s friends stood up from the couch. The stench of alcohol was prominent from where they were standing, and even though he and Renjun had seen each other at their worst, Donghyuck was <em>humiliated.</em></p><p>“Look, it’s the little Dong!” One of them shouted. He felt Renjun step up beside him, curling one arm around him protectively. “Haven’t seen you in a while! Where have you been?”</p><p>“You need to leave,” Donghyuck said, trying to sound firm. “Please. It’s late and we need to clean up.”</p><p>“No need to get your panties in a twist,” the other guy said, stumbling towards them. “We were just leaving.”</p><p>Donghyuck had to bite back a snarky remark as he and Renjun pressed against the wall to make room for the two guys. They were at least a foot taller, even with their horrid posture, and they made Donghyuck nervous, but luckily they didn’t try anything, instead lumbering down the hall towards the elevator. Donghyuck immediately tugged Renjun inside, closing the door and locking it.</p><p>“Fuck, oh my god,” Donghyuck said. “I’m sorry, do you wanna call your dad? Maybe he can pick you up--”</p><p>“No, Hyuck, what? I’m gonna help you clean this place up,” Renjun said, and Donghyuck wanted to protest, but the words died in his throat when he surveyed the mess once more. “Where’s your brother?”</p><p>Donghyuck found his brother asleep in his room, still fully dressed. He managed to get Donghyun’s shoes off and covered him up with a blanket that fell onto the floor, grabbing a huge black garbage bag from the closet as he returned to the living room.</p><p>“This is <em>not </em>how I wanted to end our two year anniversary,” Donghyuck sighed, scooping up a handful of food wrappers and shoving it into the bag. Renjun was walking around with the recycling bin, collecting the bottles and cans.</p><p>“Well, I don’t mind,” Renjun said, “I like spending time with you, I don’t care what we do.”</p><p>“Gross,” Donghyuck replied, wrinkling his nose. “Don’t be cheesy.”</p><p>“I’ll cut you,” Renjun said cheerfully, putting down the recycling bin and joining Donghyuck in collecting trash. “How did they manage so much damage in one day? They’re just three people.”</p><p>“At least nothing’s broken,” Donghyuck sighed. “Gotta count my blessings.”</p><p>“At least those weirdos didn’t touch you,” Renjun replied, forcefully shoving a handful of garbage into the bag. “I swear, one day I’m just gonna deck them in the face. I don’t know why your brother hangs around with those awful people.”</p><p>“It’s complicated,” Donghyuck tried to explain, but Renjun just brushed him off. Donghyuck tried not to sigh. Despite Renjun understanding him better than anyone else, he couldn’t understand what it was like to have to rely on people you hate. His brother’s friends were disgusting, but they helped a lot, so Donghyuck would never snitch on them to Donghyun. Would never complain about the things they do or say to him.</p><p>They finally got the last of the garbage cleaned up, the crumbs swept away and a load of laundry into the washing machine. It was already close to midnight, and Renjun was practically falling asleep as he sat on top of the dryer, his legs swinging.</p><p>“God, I’m so tired,” Donghyuck said around a yawn, stretching his back until he heard it pop. “How did we manage to get everything done so fast?”</p><p>“All those years of chores really did pay off,” Renjun said sleepily, pulling his hood up over his head. It was one of Donghyun’s sweatshirts, a university hoodie that he had bought before he dropped out. He never wanted to wear it anymore, so Donghyuck had taken it before he could throw it out. “Laundry almost done?”</p><p>“Just a few more minutes,” Donghyuck replied. “Then half an hour for it to dry.”</p><p>Renjun grimaced. “I wish I brought my phone.”</p><p>“I left mine upstairs too,” Donghyuck said with a sigh, resting his hip against the washing machine. “I’m sorry again--”</p><p>“I told you to stop apologizing for things that aren’t your fault, didn’t I?” Renjun reached out to tweak Donghyuck’s nose. “And besides, it’s no big deal. It only took us a couple hours. It would have taken you all night if you did it alone.”</p><p>“That’s true,” Donghyuck agreed mildly. “Thank you.”</p><p>Renjun beamed. “You’re welcome.”</p><p>He kicked his feet out rhythmically until Donghyuck stepped between his legs, hand on the back of his neck as he pulled him in for a kiss. Renjun still tasted like the candy they had at the movies, the sugar sweet on Donghyuck’s tongue, their kiss open-mouthed and messy from the start. Renjun’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and yanked him in, knocking him painfully against the dryer.</p><p>“Happy anniversary baby,” Renjun sighed against Donghyuck’s mouth. “Though I’m pretty sure it’s over now.”</p><p>“Well, it could have been worse,” Donghyuck said, trying to stay on the positive side. “One of us could have ended up in the hospital.”</p><p>“I hate hospitals,” Renjun replied, wrinkling his nose. “In middle school I hit my head and I had to go to the hospital for an MRI. At least my mom was there, though. Being in the hospital alone would suck.”</p><p>“If you’re ever in the hospital, I won’t leave your side until you’re better,” Donghyuck said with a grin, knocking their foreheads together.</p><p>“You’re so cheesy,” Renjun complained, hopping off the dryer when Donghyuck stepped back. “But same here. If you need me, I’ll come running.”</p><p> </p><p>🏀</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Your mom’s flight is going to land tonight. I’m sure you’ll be okay until then.”</p><p>“Okay. Thanks for getting me Aunt Jane.” Mark had barely gotten his crutches out of the car and shut the door before his aunt was backing out of the driveway. She had complained the entire ride home about picking him up because she was tired from her shift. Mark apologized over and over, but after a while he just went silent and let her rant. They gave him painkillers that made him woozy, and as he limped to his door, he nearly fell over trying to reach for the spare key.</p><p>He let himself into the house, thankful that he had cleaned up the entryway because navigating to the lightswitch in the dark would have been impossible if he had left his shoes all over the place. Still, there was no way he could make it up the stairs. His stomach gurgled, unhappy about the fact that he hadn’t eaten since yesterday. Mark managed to make it to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar before collapsing on the couch in the living room. He wished he had gone grocery shopping, but he hadn’t exactly anticipated getting injured, and so the fridge and pantry were practically empty.</p><p>“I should just order something,” Mark muttered to himself, then blanched when he realized, right, he still didn’t have his phone. And he didn’t even have his binders and textbooks to do his homework. “Oh god, my laptop’s upstairs. Fuck, what do I do?”</p><p>He forced himself up off the couch, debating if he should try making it up the stairs when he remembered they had a landline. He hopped over to the shelf next to the TV and picked up the cordless phone, dialing his coach.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Coach? It’s Mark. Do you know if anyone grabbed my bag?”</p><p>“Mark? How are you feeling, kid? Yeah, I think Felix took your bag, he said he was going to swing by after school today. Can you give me your address?” Mark relayed the information and waited for the coach to write it down. “Your mom called the school and excused you for today, but you’re gonna need to come in tomorrow and fill in a report, and you’ll probably want to get back to classes soon.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Mark said, swallowing around the lump in his throat. Fuck, he was going to fall behind.</p><p>“Okay, well, I’m about to have breakfast now. I’m sorry for what happened, Mark. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p><p>“See you,” Mark said quietly, and hung up the phone when he heard the dial tone. He made it back to the couch and dropped down with a groan, propping his foot up on the coffee table. They had given him a cast instead of a boot, but after about six weeks he would switch to a walking boot and, if he wanted, he would be able to go off crutches.</p><p>“Don’t cry,” he repeated over and over. It had been a pretty awful day, and he was exhausted. Crying would just give him a headache and a runny nose, and he didn’t want to deal with those right now.</p><p>He wanted water, and a blanket. He was still in his basketball shorts, and it was freezing. He tried to get up again and found that he couldn’t, so he fell back onto the couch and stared up at the ceiling. He wished his mom was here. He wished he never went to that game and got injured.</p><p>More than anything, he wished he wasn’t alone right now.</p><p>But none of his wishes came true.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, has Mark been answering your texts?”</p><p>Donghyuck dropped down on the bench next to Renjun as they unpacked the lunches they had made this morning. Renjun was practically asleep as he struggled to open his bento box, and Donghyuck had to reach over and undo the clasps for him.</p><p>He was exhausted, but he didn’t regret helping Donghyuck at all. Thinking about Donghyuck dealing with the mess alone made him want to deck Donghyun in the face, but then again, Donghyuck’s brother had apologized to them this morning and gave them each twenty dollars, which meant they could go for boba after school.</p><p>“Nope,” Renjun replied, scooping rice into his mouth. “Though honestly I just texted him, like, once. I was so tired that I could barely stay awake in my classes.”</p><p>“Do you think he’s mad?” Donghyuck asked.</p><p>Renjun shrugged. “It’s just one game, we can just go to the next one. Like, I understand if he’s upset, but like I said, there’s not much we can do about it now.”</p><p>“I just want to apologize,” Donghyuck sighed. “But I sent him, like, four texts and he hasn’t answered any of them.”</p><p>Renjun couldn’t help the spike of irritation he felt. “Okay, I get it if he’s mad, but that’s so immature. He could at least say something instead of ignoring you.”</p><p>“Are you… mad?”</p><p>“I’m not mad,” Renjun said immediately. “I just find it kind of annoying. We aren’t twelve anymore. Ignoring people because you’re mad is kinda petty, don’t you think?”</p><p>“I guess,” Donghyuck said slowly. Renjun just turned away and finished the last of his rice, scrolling through his Twitter feed. He saw a few tweets about the basketball game and immediately closed the app, feeling cross. He checked his conversation with Mark and found that his message was still unread.</p><p><em>Why do I feel so angry?</em> Renjun thought to himself. <em>Maybe it’s because I’m tired. </em></p><p>He put his phone down before he did something stupid like send a mean text. That would be just as petty as ignoring someone, if not worse.</p><p>“Sorry I’m in a bad mood,” he offered finally, just as they both finished eating. “I think I’m just tired.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it.” Donghyuck leaned over to kiss his cheek before turning back to his phone. “I’m used to your grouchiness.”</p><p>“Hey,” Renjun protested with a frown. “I’m not always grouchy.”</p><p>“Sure you aren’t, babe. Sure you aren’t.”</p><p>They squabbled for the rest of lunch, and Renjun felt much lighter as he left for his next class. Donghyuck was practically magic in that way, able to cheer him up no matter how down he felt.</p><p>He managed to get through the rest of the day, though he was surprised to find that Mark wasn’t there. He wondered if Mark was skipping just to avoid him. Instead of feeling angry, he just felt guilty. By the time class was over, his mood has worsened, and when the bell rang he quickly shoved everything into his bag and departed the classroom within seconds.</p><p>“Hey,” Donghyuck murmured when Renjun walked out.</p><p>“Hey, how’d you get out so early?”</p><p>“O’Brian let me go five minutes before the bell, so I thought I’d come get you and we can walk down together.”</p><p>“Wanna come over?” Renjun suggested. He didn’t feel like being alone right now.</p><p>“Sure,” Donghyuck replied, “if your parents don’t mind.”</p><p>Renjun snorted. “When have they ever minded? Come on, let’s go home quick and see if my mom will cut fruit for us.”</p><p>“Oh my god please,” Donghyuck practically moaned, and Renjun shoved him for being obnoxious before running away. Donghyuck shrieked and tore after him, chasing him all the way to the bus stop. Renjun cried for mercy as he leaned against the pole, breathing heavily.</p><p>“Are you out of shape, Injunnie?” Donghyuck teased, but before Renjun could retaliate, the bus pulled up to the stop, resulting in them fumbling for their bus passes while simultaneously trying to board the bus. They giggled at the weird looks the bus driver gave them before stumbling to the back, dropping into seats just as the bus pulled away. Renjun immediately plopped his head down on Donghyuck’s shoulder.</p><p>“Wake me when we get there,” Renjun said through a yawn. He didn’t end up sleeping, but he did shut his eyes and refused to think about anything until they got to his place. They were greeted by his mom with a bowl of watermelon for them to share and they immediately headed upstairs to enjoy the treat while they worked on their homework.</p><p>“Mark hasn’t answered any of my texts,” Donghyuck said with a sigh, his fork dangling from his fingers. Renjun reached out to wipe the dribble of watermelon juice off his chin before standing up and walking into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and hopped onto the counter, pulling out his phone and calling Mark.</p><p>It took a few tries, but just when Renjun was about to give up, the ringing cut off.</p><p>“‘llo?”</p><p>“Mark? It’s Renjun.” Some rustling noises occurred on the other end.</p><p>“Jun?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Renjun said patiently, swinging his legs back and forth. “Are you okay? You haven’t answered any of our texts.”</p><p>More rustling. “‘M okay.”</p><p>Renjun paused. “Did you just wake up?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>He waited, but Mark didn’t say anything else. “Listen, Mark, about yesterday… we’re sorry we didn’t come. It was a misunderstanding. We mixed up the dates for the game. But there’s always next time, right?”</p><p>It was silent on the other end for a moment, and just as Renjun was about to check if he hung up, Mark spoke. “Okay.”</p><p>Irritation flared up inside of him. “That’s all you’re going to say?”</p><p>More rustling. “What do you want me to say, Renjun?</p><p>“Uh, I dunno, anything but just ‘okay’?” Renjun snapped, feeling flustered.</p><p>“Excuse me if I don’t feel like having a conversation right now.”</p><p>“Fine, then,” Renjun huffed, hanging up the phone. It only took a second for him to burst into tears, frustrated at himself for handling the situation poorly, and frustrated at Mark for being the immovable object to his admittedly stoppable force. It didn’t help that he was still exhausted after a full day of class with not enough sleep.</p><p>“Jun? Injunnie, are you okay?” Donghyuck sounded frantic as he knocked on the door, and Renjun sniffled, wiping his face and hopping off the counter to undo the lock.</p><p>“I’m okay, just tired,” Renjun assured him, and though he was certain Donghyuck knew he was lying, he didn’t call him out on it. Instead, Donghyuck took him by the elbow and guided him to the bed, gently pushing at him until he was lying down.</p><p>“Get some rest,” Donghyuck insisted, and Renjun wanted to fight, but his eyelids were already drooping. He sank into the pillow just as Donghyuck brought the blanket up and over his frame, encasing him in warmth.</p><p>“Thanks,” Renjun murmured, already half asleep.</p><p>“Of course, love.” And then he was out.</p><p> </p><p>🏐</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Donghyuck went into the bathroom after pressing a kiss to Renjun’s forehead, washing his hands at the sink before drying them off. He picked up Renjun’s phone from where he left it on the counter, thumbing at the Home button to check the time and accidentally unlocking it. He frowned when it opened up to the ‘Recents’ section on the phone app and he found Mark’s name at the top. The call had ended just a few minutes ago, meaning that whatever had happened was what made Renjun cry.</p><p>Donghyuck pressed on Mark’s name once, then twice when he didn’t pick up. He was about to hang up and try again for the third time when Mark picked up.</p><p>“Look, I told you I don’t really feel like talking--”</p><p>“What the fuck did you say to Renjun?” Donghyuck demanded, clenching his fist at his side. He looked in the mirror and saw his cheeks were already red the way they always got when he was angry.</p><p>Silence on the other end, then, “I didn’t say anything to him.”</p><p>“Bullshit,” Donghyuck spat. “You made him cry for what? Because we missed your stupid game?”</p><p>“It’s not stupid, I--”</p><p>“How is it our fault that you can’t communicate properly? How were we supposed to know when your game was when the teacher told us a different day? It was literally a misunderstanding!”</p><p>“I’m not fucking mad about the game!” Mark shouted, so loud that Donghyuck flinched and pulled the phone away from his ear. “And even if I was, I think it would be justified considering you <em>told </em>me you would be there, lied about being free, and then didn’t show up because you were on a date!”</p><p>“Am I not allowed to go on dates with my boyfriend now?” Donghyuck snapped.</p><p>“That’s not what I said, don’t put words in my mouth.” Shame washed over Donghyuck when he realized he had done exactly that. “The only thing I told him was that I didn’t feel like talking, and if you were at the hospital all night and your painkillers were wearing off, you wouldn’t feel like Chatty Cathy either.”</p><p>“Did it even occur to you that maybe there was a reason I didn’t respond to you all day or show up to school? Or do you just not care?” Mark was getting angrier now, and it was so unlike his usual gentle demeanor that Donghyuck felt sick. <em>He </em>made Mark like this. “I’m thinking you don’t, considering the second you thought I did something to Renjun, you jumped on me without even <em>asking </em>me.”</p><p>Donghyuck swallowed harshly, suddenly numb. “Mark, I--”</p><p>“I think I’m gonna need some space,” Mark said quietly, and the hollow sensation in Donghyuck’s chest expanded. “This isn’t going to work if it’s me versus Renjun and Hyuck all the time. What would it be like if we were actually dating?”</p><p>“Mark,” Donghyuck said desperately, “wait--”</p><p>“And for the record--” Mark sounded like he was crying now “--I <em>did </em>tell you when the game was. And how important it was to me. I guess you just didn’t think it was worth listening to.”</p><p>And before Donghyuck could say anything, he hung up, the dial tone ringing dully in his ear as he stared at his reflection with disgust. He was so mad at himself. Wiping roughly at his eyes before he could start crying, he reached for a paper cup and drank down some water before returning to the room with Renjun’s phone still clutched in his hand.</p><p>“Jun,” Donghyuck said loudly, and Renjun stirred on the bed.</p><p>“Hyuck? Wha’s wrong?”</p><p>“I fucked up.”</p><p>Renjun sat up immediately, and Donghyuck threw himself down onto the bed next to him, burying his face in a pillow. “What happened?” Renjun rubbed a comforting hand up and down his back.</p><p>“I called Mark,” Donghyuck answered, voice muffled by the pillow. “I was mad because he made you cry, and then we fought, and then he said he wants space and he doesn’t think we’re gonna work out.”</p><p>“That’s what he said?” Renjun murmured, and Donghyuck nodded.</p><p>“I mean, he was right. I’ll tell you the whole thing later. I’m really sorry, Jun.”</p><p>“I pissed him off first, it was both of our faults. We share the blame equally, okay? So don’t apologize to me.” Renjun tugged him up and wrapped him into a hug. Donghyuck sank into the comfort, but it made him feel guilty. Right now while he was being comforted by Renjun, Mark was alone and…</p><p>“Wait, Mark said something about being in the hospital all night,” Donghyuck recalled, exchanging glances with Renjun as it dawned on the both of them. He scrambled for his phone, pulling it out and shooting off a text to Felix, the captain of the basketball team.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>to: felix</strong>
</p><p>hi felix its donny from the volleyball team</p><p>
  <em> do u know what happened to mark?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>he’s our manager and he didn’t come to practice today</em>
</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t have practice, but Felix wouldn’t know that. It didn’t take long for him to get a reply.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>from: felix</strong>
</p><p>Hi Donny!</p><p>
  <em>Unfortunately, Mark fractured his ankle at the game last night.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He’ll be out for the rest of the season.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If you have the chance you should go visit him!</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello reader! i've been struggling with staying motivated to write, so if you enjoyed what you've read so far please leave a comment and let me know!<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/jaemarkism">twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.me/jaemarked">curious cat</a></p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading!<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/jaemarking">twitter</a><br/><a href="https://curiouscat.me/jaemarked">curious cat</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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